Those Amazing Kids of Theirs
by Sheeva1331
Summary: Sequel to "Peace", Draco, Sheeva, and Blaise's kids, Nayeli Zabini and Severus Malfoy, are attending Hogwarts, where they meet new friends, and all seems at peace until a looming darkness begins to hang over them all... Draco M. x OC x Blaise Z.
1. Chapter 1

Well, I'm back, with a brand new (sorta) adventure, and I have to admit, I'm SUPER PSYCHED!

There are a few reference jokes in here to the first part of this story, so, if you didn't read the summary, you should read "Peace" first. It will help you understand more of what's going on a lot more.

Without further ado, I present to you, "Those Amazing Kids of Theirs..." :D

* * *

Students filtered in to the Grand Hall, taking their seats at their respective tables. The plates were filling themselves with a plethora of breakfast food. Severus's stomach growled at him and he loaded his plate with eggs, sausage, and dribbled salsa all over it, mixed it up, and began to shovel it in his mouth like an animal.

When his mother entered the hall, he quickly grabbed a napkin, wiped his mouth, and swallowed, taking a "dainty" bite (roughly half the size of his previous spoonful). His mother caught his gaze and smiled at him. She'd taught him well. As she passed, he resumed his vacuum-like eating.

Blaise and Draco smirked.

Nayeli eyed him from across the room and rolled her eyes.

"Gross. Eat like a human being, Severus." She muttered to herself, spreading butter on her pancakes. She looked up when the girl from yesterday sat across from her.

"I'm Kathryn." She introduced herself. Nayeli smiled.

"Nayeli Zabini. Nice to meet you." She returned.

She looked at the hearing aids again, and the question blurted out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"What happened to you so that you have to wear hearing aids?"

Kathryn stopped mid-chew, and looked down at her plate. She finished chewing her bite and washed it down with apple-juice.

"I was born early. My eardrums and ear canals are just underdeveloped, that's all." She answered, picking at her scrambled eggs. Normally she loved them, considering it was the only way that she could eat them. The taste of yolk made her gag.

"Who taught you how to sign?" She asked.

"My mother. I picked it up better than my brother did. Said he wouldn't have much use for it… I'm glad I learned!" Nayeli replied, still into her pancakes.

Nayeli looked up as Draco and Blaise stood behind Kathryn. She tensed and slowly turned her head, looking behind her.

"Good morning, professors… Uh… Something wrong?" She asked. _Have I done something wrong already? _Nayeli smiled and laughed as Draco and Blaise looked back at her, slightly confused.

"You don't have to be _scared._ What's up, dads?" Nayeli asked. Kathryn looked back at Nayeli, shocked.

_Dads?_

"We just wanted to remind you that you'll have to call us 'professor' in class." Draco stated, crossing his arms and doing his best to intimidate the kid in front of him. Nayeli frowned, slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, because I'd totally call you 'dad' in class." She said sarcastically. Draco didn't catch the sarcasm, and took it as more of a sardonic remark. He felt his chest hurt at the remark, and turned his head away, scowling. Nayeli mentally smacked herself. She didn't mean to sound rude.

"If anyone, you should tell Severus. He could hardly restrain from calling Mom 'mom' in front of the whole school last night." She pointed out, trying to steer the topic off of her. He nodded, and went over to the Slytherin table. They watched as Draco leaned into Severus' ear and whispered something. Severus grinned and nodded, giving them the "thumbs up".

Blaise shook his head.

"We are your parents, though, before being your teacher. Just keep that in mind, alright, Nayeli?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yes, Dad." She continued cutting away at her pancakes. She hadn't bothered drowning them in syrup. Just butter was good enough. Draco would tease her about it, denying that she was indeed his kid.

"How do you have two dads? Marriage?" She asked. Nayeli set her fork down and looked around. There were too many people around, and she didn't feel like talking aloud about it.

_I will explain later. It is complicated._ She signed. Kathryn nodded, and went back to her breakfast.

"How old are you?" She asked. Kathryn signed _eleven _with her left hand, still holding her fork in her right.

"I'm 12. So is Severus."

Kathryn looked behind her at the Slytherin table. She looked back at Nayeli, then back at Severus. They didn't look at all like each other, save for the green eyes. She then looked at Professors Malfoy and Zabini.

"Are you fraternal twins?" She asked. Nayeli looked up, amazed. This girl was pretty damn smart.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"You look like Professor Malfoy. Your brother looks like Professor Zabini. It's only logical… but then again…" She silenced and blushed.

"Your parents are a threesome." She concluded. Nayeli arched an eyebrow and nodded. She'd explain it all later when they had more privacy. Sheeva walked by, catching Nayeli's eye and tapping the top of her wrist. Nayeli's eyes widened and she looked at the giant clock on the wall. She downed her pumpkin juice and wiped the remnants off with her sleeve, standing quickly.

"We've gotta get to class!"

Kathryn jumped up too, grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder.

_Severus, get going! Class!_ She thought to her brother. Severus choked on his food and leaped out of his chair and ran to catch up with them.

"What's first?" He asked. He caught Kathryn's eye, and waved at her quickly, flashing her a smile.

"Potions, with Professor Malfoy." She responded, turning the hallway to the dungeons. Nayeli and Severus' stomachs dropped, and they caught glances with each other.

_Crap. Dad's going to kill us._

They barreled in through the door to the potions classroom, causing many heads to turn and look at them.

"Sorry, da- uh, Professor…" Nayeli apologized, taking her seat at an empty desk on the Gryffindor side. Kathryn sat next to him, letting her forehead fall to the desk with a _thunk_. Severus hurried to a desk by another boy and collapsed down in it, breathing heavily. Draco scowled and crossed his arms, biting his tongue to keep from grinning.

_Like you'd call me "Dad" in class, my ass. Rebel kid._

"Hopefully you've all at least attempted to read your books over the summer, yes? Can anyone tell me a use for Asphodel root?" He asked. Nayeli jumped when Kathryn's hand shot up in the air. Draco looked at the girl, surprised.

He then nodded, giving her permission to answer.

"Asphodelus Albus is an herbaceous perennial, and its roots are used in an Antidote potion for common snake bites and other plant toxins, sir." She blurted out shyly. She noted the look of shock on Draco's face, and grinned. She felt outstanding.

Albus Potter leaned over to his sister and whispered jokingly: "Please tell me I wasn't named after a plant." Lily chuckled and shook her head.

Draco turned around, crossed his arms, and paced the floor for a bit, trying to think of a harder question.

"What other ingredients are used in the Antidote to Common Poisons?" He asked.

"A bezoar, obtained from the stomach of a goat. Mistletoe berries, which can be found on almost every mistletoe plant, powdered unicorn horn, and the Asphodels roots, dried and crushed, sir." She responded. Draco nodded, impressed.

"How long does it take to brew the potion?" He asked.

"Half an hour to forty-five minutes, sir."

Nayeli smirked at her dad. Draco caught it, but ignored it.

"Did you read the whole book?" He asked incredulously. Kathryn bowed her head and nodded, embarrassed as she turned bright red.

"Yes, I did, sir." She admitted. Draco nodded and shrugged.

"Ten points to Gryffindor… because your new friend is a know-it-all…" He muttered. Nayeli gave him her best menacing glare, which had little effect on him, because she knew that he was only teasing. Draco stared back calmly.

_Gotta admit, I love getting on your nerve. _He thought.

Nayeli and Kathryn worked together to create the potion, and Nayeli struggled a little, not inheriting her father's knack for potions. She was more interested in Muggle science and Transfigurations. Kathryn helped her, giggling a little when she grew flustered over the messiness of the mistletoe berries.

Severus was handling himself well, and by half an hour, his potion was a bubbling, simmering, bright green goo. He grinned to his dad, who smiled at him and muttered: "Good job" under his breath.

Albus Potter and Lily Potter were working together, bickering. When Albus accidentally bumped her while grinding the mistletoe berries, she clumsily fell against Greggory Longbottom, who released the bezoar stone he'd been holding and dropped it into his cauldron with a splash.

The contents turned a blood-red color, bubbling furiously before exploding. Everyone had scurried to get out of the way, mostly.

Greggory was shielding Lily, and the potion splashed all over his back. He screamed in pain, and Draco hurried over to them.

"Don't touch it! Come on Longbottom, let's get you to the hospital wing. The rest of you, wait here. I'll send Sheeva down to watch you guys." Draco stated. _See his son inherited the clumsiness of blowing things up… wonderful._

"I'm so sorry!" Lily panicked, her eyes wide. Albus patted his sister on the back.

"It's alright, Lily. Stuff happens. We shouldn't have been arguing in the first place…" He tried to calm her down. The dungeon door opened, and Sheeva walked in, smiling to herself.

"Wow, that was fast! What'd you do, apparate?" Severus said, grinning from ear to ear. Sheeva looked at him and smiled even more.

"I have my tricks. I am not an old lady." She laughed healthfully. She saw the mess of red goo, still sizzling and smoking. She sighed, and walked over to it.

"Severus, go get a bucket please. Nayeli, get some mops." She ordered. Nayeli and Severus rushed to the closet.

"Apparate? Really, Severus? You cannot apparate in Hogwarts, you dorkfish. Didn't you know that?" She scolded him. He scowled back at her.

"Shut up, sis." She smacked his arm, making him spill water all over his shoes. He lifted the bucket and carried it over to Sheeva.

"Mom, Nayeli's being mean again!" He tattled. Nayeli rolled her eyes.

"No I'm not, Severus is just being a dorkfish!" She argued back. They began to bicker, and didn't notice when Sheeva had crossed her arms and stood up tall, scowling down at them.

"Severus Allan Malfoy and Nayeli Marie Zabini, stop your petty arguing this minute!" She hissed. They stopped, and stared at her, eyes wide. The other students backed off, scared. Kathryn smiled a little, amazed at the power she exerted.

"Now… You two work together, and clean up this mess. Do not bicker amongst yourselves. You might not understand now, but later, you will. You need to set the example." She said, calming down and giving another smile.

"Set the example for what?" Severus asked, grabbing a mop and dunking the head of it in the hot soapy water. He spread it on the floor and spread it around, mixing the potion and the soap suds. He smiled to himself. It was amusing watching the colors mix.

Nayeli grumbled and grabbed the other mop, soaking up the suds and potion, then draining it out in the waste bucket.

"There was a time when the four houses of Hogwarts despised each other so much that their enemies found it easy to sneak in and attack them from within. If it were not for some brave, cunning, intelligent, and loving people, they would have been crushed. Now, the war may be over, and we may seem at peace, but as long as there is peace, there will always be someone working to bring chaos." She whispered wisely. The students surround her looked amongst each other. They smiled, as they took note of her words. They seemed "legit".

Draco walked back in to the classroom, scratching the back of his neck. This wasn't how the first day was supposed to go, but he should have expected it when he'd heard the name "Longbottom". He stopped when he saw that his kids were cleaning up the gooey mess. He almost smiled, but then remembered he was in the presence of students.

Instead, he smirked as he walked up to them.

"What'd you do this time?" He asked. They sighed.

"We were arguing again." Severus admitted, grunting as he strained the mop head again. He sat up and wiped his brow, faking exhaustion.

"We work _so _hard. We're just little house elves." He joked. Draco grinned, and chuckled a little bit.

"I figured I would strive for house cooperation. And, a little brother-sister bonding time. Kill two birds with one stone, yes?" Sheeva piped in, teasing the two. Draco nodded.

"Thanks for coming down here, Sheeva. I can handle the rest of this, thanks." He dismissed her. She gave him a coy smile.

"Anytime, _Professor_." She muttered somewhat sultrily and winking at him. No one else in the room caught it except for him, and he dug his nails into his palm to keep from blushing. She giggled and left, leaving a group of very confused students and two embarrassed kids.

"Hey, we're done, _Professor_. Can we go now?" Nayeli grumbled, putting sarcastic emphasis on 'professor'. Draco looked at her out of the corner of his eye. His students wouldn't get away with talking to him like this, and neither would she. However, he dismissed it for now. He'd talk to her later.

"Class dismissed. _Don't_ be late for tomorrow's class, or I'll start docking points, understand?" He asked. Nayeli, Severus, and Kathryn nodded.

"Yes, sir, I understand, sir." Kathryn blurted, packing up her stuff and rushing out the door.

"Nayeli's friend is oddly polite. Would you tell her not to call me 'sir'? It makes me feel old…" He asked Severus as he passed. Severus hung back, and waited for the other Slytherins to pass him.

"But Dad, you _are_ old." He teased. He laughed and gave Draco a hug before walking away.

"I love you, Dad." He called out. Draco chuckled, and face palmed.

"Love you too, kiddo." He muttered to the now empty classroom.

* * *

Hermione Potter smiled at her students, fidgeting with the hem of her cloak sleeve. The first day always brought her nervous jitters. Thankfully, she saw a few familiar faces, including her children's, and that calmed her nerves a little. She picked up the teacup she'd been drinking from and took a sip.

"Good morning, class." She started, chuckling a little at her nerves. They all smiled back at her. Nayeli was leaned forward, listening intently, grinning. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Kathryn smirked, leaned back in her chair. She'd read all of the book for this class, too.

"Well, we'll make introductions quick… My name is Hermione Potter, and you can call me whatever you're comfortable with. Now, to start this semester off, we'll be learning how to transform animals into drinking goblets. Now, if you'll turn to page…" She paused to grab her book and flip through it.

"Page 23, ma'am." Kathryn stated, smiling. Hermione looked up at her, and turned to the page. She smiled.

"Thank you, that's correct… What was your name again?"

"Kathryn Huitre, ma'am." She smiled.

"You actually read a bit of the book before class?" She asked, amazed. This kid reminded her of herself when she was young. Kathryn nodded slowly.

"I read the whole thing, ma'am." She admitted. Nayeli smirked.

"So did I, Professor." She butted in. Kathryn could show her up in Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, or even Care of Magical Creatures. But _not_ in Transfiguration. Not if she could help it.

Kathryn stared at Nayeli, and then noticed the way she looked. The way that she was leaning forward, listening intently to the Professor. She was slightly jealous, as Nayeli had an advantage that she didn't have. Good hearing.

Kathryn scowled. She wasn't about to let her lack of good hearing stop her.

"Illusion charms, page 37." She growled. Nayeli turned, and arched her eyebrow. _A pissing match, huh? Sounds good. Bring it._

"Invisibility charm, page 46." She said back, crossing her arms. Kathryn sat up in her seat.

"Audio mimicking charm, page 72."

Nayeli racked her brain for another spell.

"Reparifors, Page 105." She retorted. Kathryn opened her mouth to speak, but then blinked and closed it, taking out her hearing aid and setting it on the desk. Nayeli saw it, and reprimanded herself for picking a fit in the first place. Obviously, Kathryn was making up for her hearing loss by burying herself in books.

She waited until Kathryn had replaced the battery before turning to her and signing: _I'm sorry._

Kathryn only smiled and shrugged the matter off. She figured that she'd give the know-it-all position to her newfound friend.

"Well… I'm glad you both have read the book. However, there is also the matter of practical application. Reading is one thing. Doing is another." She smiled, and pointed her wand at the parrot perched on the stand next to her desk. It cooed at her.

"One, two, three, Fera Verto." She called out, tapping her wand on the parrot's tail feathers lightly. A cloud shot out of the tip of her wand and encased the parrot, turning it into a golden and silver water goblet.

Nayeli smirked, remembering how she'd turned Severus' frog into a goblet. Kathryn stared at the goblet, amazed and confused at the same time.

"Now, I'd like each of you to turn your pet into a goblet, if you would. If you don't have a pet, we have some mice in the back corner."

A few people stood and went to retrieve a white mouse, including Kathryn. She returned to the desk and set it on the table. It turned around and stared at her, the whiskers on its little nose twitching as it sniffed at the air. She grabbed her wand, and studied it. 10 inches, and made of Red Dogwood, she looked back at the mouse. It scuttled across her book, learning the new territory it'd been released into.

"Go on. It won't hurt it." Nayeli encouraged her, already having turned her mouse into a goblet.

Kathryn cleared her throat and repeated the incantation, and to her surprise, it worked. She stared at the white goblet in amazement.

"Wow…It really works?" She reached out and touched it. It was perfectly tangible. Not an ounce of fur, nor a tail. She picked it up and turned it around, amazed.

"You're a muggle-born, aren't you?" Hermione asked. Kathryn looked at her, shocked and embarrassed, and slowly nodded.

"Yes, ma'am." She whispered meekly. Nayeli looked at her.

"That explains a lot. Care to share? Which one of your parents is magical?" She asked. Kathryn shook her head.

"I don't know. I wouldn't be able to ask them. My mother died after she had me, and my father was sent to the DMZ in Korea, and was killed in an accident when I was seven." She muttered, tears coming to her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but instead excused herself and rushed out of the classroom.

"Excuse me, too, professor."

Nayeli stood up and took off after her.

"Hey! Wait up!" Nayeli barked.

When she looked around, she saw that Kathryn had already disappeared, nowhere to be found.

"Damn that kid can run fast." She muttered.

_Hey. I just saw your friend run by. She ok?_ Severus asked her. Nayeli smiled.

_Where are you at?_ _Find her, and chill out with her until I can find you guys, alright?_ She thought back.

Severus looked in the direction where she'd gone, and shrugged. Class had been let out early; Professor Binns decided to just do introductions for today's lecture. He listened around for the girl, as he'd seen that she was crying when she passed him.

He heard light sniffling to his right, and peered into an empty classroom.

He saw her curled up on the floor, crying into her knees.

He stepped in, and she hardly noticed until he spoke up.

"What's wrong? Did Blaise say something nasty to you?" He asked, remembering how Draco had muttered something about her being a know-it-all. He didn't really mean it, Severus knew, but sometimes, Draco and Blaise could be very convincing.

She jumped and looked up at him, took off her glasses, and wiped them off and wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

"No, I haven't had Defense Against the Dark Arts class yet." She muttered. She hoped that this boy would leave, because she didn't want to spill her guts to anyone else. She didn't want to be a pity case.

"Oh. Is it about Draco, then? He doesn't mean that. He's just pretending. Really." He tried to console her. He knelt down and placed a hand on her knee.

She shook her head.

"Huh. I know I'd be upset… If it makes you feel any better, you impressed the heck out of him. I haven't seen him that impressed since I told him I wanted to be in Slytherin." He chuckled. She let out a small laugh too. At this, he brightened. Seems he picked up his mom's gift for cheering people up.

"What was your name, again?" He asked. She put her glasses back on and straightened herself up.

"Kathryn Huitre. You're… Severus, right? Nayeli's brother?"

He grinned.

"Yup! She's a rebel, but that's my sister!" He said proudly. Kathryn smiled.

He stood, and reached out a hand for her to take. She smiled sheepishly and took it, squeaking when he pulled her up a little faster than she'd expected.

"So what class were you in?" He asked.

"Transfigurations, with Professor Potter." She answered, taking a few steps to the door.

He rushed to open it for her. He smirked.

"Dad always threatened to smack me if I didn't hold the door open for a lady." He grinned. Kathryn frowned, but thanked him anyway. He definitely noticed, a sliver of his ego hurt.

"I'm sure your sister will tell you later, so I'll just tell you now. I left the classroom because I was remembering something… my mother died giving birth to me, and my father was killed in the DMZ in Korea." She sniffled.

"Oh… Damn… I'm sorry to hear that. Where are you staying?" He asked. She scowled even more.

"An orphanage in London… Once we're here, we stay for the whole seven years, right?" She asked, almost desperately.

He shook his head sadly.

"No, we're gone for the breaks and for the summer. Some kids opt to stay during the breaks though. You're welcome to stay. What's so bad about the orphanage?" He asked. She gave him a look as though saying: _It's a bloody orphanage, what'd you think?_

He blinked a few times and looked down at the ground, cursing himself for his foolishness.

"Erm, sorry…" He apologized. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Water under the bridge.

"I have to get back to class." She stated quickly, turning to leave. He stopped her.

"Well, let me walk with you—uh, so you don't get lost." He quickly added.

Just then, Nayeli walked around the corner, and upon seeing the two, she was greatly relieved, and rushed up to them.

"I'm sorry, Kathryn, I didn't mean to upset you!" She apologized.

"It's fine. We should get back to class. Thank you, Severus." She smiled and turned away, trying to hurry back to class.

He turned back around, walking in the direction of the Slytherin commons. He had a three hour break, so he figured he could do some homework, or take a nap.

"That was nice of you, Severus." Sheeva said behind him. Severus leapt two feet into the air and screamed, then turned around, clutching at his chest.

"You scared the hell out of me, Mom!" He barked. He then realized what he said.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to swear."

Sheeva laughed and smiled.

"It is alright. It is a natural human reaction. You will get used to it." She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I hope not. I gotta get to my room. I have homework to do." He hugged her and left, ignoring a group of students that began to tease him for hugging his mother in public…

* * *

Well... off to a good start. "Huitre" is french for "oyster". There's supposed to be a ^ above the i, but I don't know how to do that. If anyone could reply with an answer, that would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Sheeva1331


	2. Chapter 2

Their first day done, Nayeli and Kathryn slumped down on the couch, mentally tired.

"I can't believe we already have homework, on the first day. How cool is that?" Kathryn asked, grabbing her Potions book and opening it, starting to read it once more. Nayeli looked at her incredulously.

"You serious?" She laughed, and then her eyebrows arched as she realized she was serious. Kathryn smiled.

"Sorry. Books have really been my only company in the last four years. I've never really even had a friend before." She admitted. Nayeli nodded. She felt restless, and even though her mind was shot, she still wanted to get up and move around.

"Come run with me." She asked, standing up and stretching. Kathryn looked up at her.

"Run with you?" Kathryn closed her book.

Nayeli laughed at the expression. She looked like she'd just asked for her to murder someone.

"Yeah! Don't you like to run around? Go crazy?" Nayeli asked, grabbing Kathryn's hand and jerking her out of her seat, pulling her with her out of the common room.

"Ready? Go!" She barked, running across the hall and down the steps. Kathryn was stunned, still trying to figure out what had happened. She looked at the lady in the portrait, only to find that the lady wasn't there at all. She was now alone, and locked out of the hallways.

She paled.

"Hey! Wait for me!" She cried out, rushing to the edge of the hallway and running down the steps. When she wasn't running to get away from the bullies at the orphanage, running was something she never did. It just wasn't fun to her. She'd suggest that they played tag, or football sometime… if she ever caught up with Nayeli.

Nayeli's heart pounded in her chest, and her muscles ached, but she lived for this. She grinned as she turned the corner on the third floor hallway, heading towards the balcony that overlooked the Hogwarts courtyard. She slowed to a stop, panting.

Only then did she notice that Kathryn wasn't behind her.

"Oops." She blurted out. She raised her arms and set her hands behind her head, trying to still her heartbeat as she walked back to the grand staircase.

"Hey, Kathryn, are you there?" She yelled up. A few seconds later, Kathryn's head peered out from over the balcony of staircase six, the one connecting the fifth floor to the sixth.

"Yeah, but the staircase moved on me! I almost fell off!" She cried out. Nayeli laughed aloud.

"They do that! Don't worry, it'll move back in a few minutes. There's a column that holds up the rail that you should be able to tickle, and it'll force it to move!" She called up.

Kathryn was sitting on the middle step, afraid to move. She heard what Nayeli said, and looked at the columns, confused.

"_Tickle_ the column?" She asked herself, scoffing a little bit. Ridiculous, it sounded.

_Then again, if you can turn an animal into a goblet, this must work too…_

She crawled up the stairs, afraid to stand for fear of falling over and off the ledge. Starting from the top, she worked her way down, lightly dragging her fingers along the columns. She screamed and backed off when the one she'd just touched sprouted a mouth and began to laugh hysterically.

The staircase moved, and she lied down on the steps, breathing heavily. She remained there for a few more minutes before slowly getting to her feet and rushing down the last of the steps. She hurried to the third floor, and Nayeli laughed as she saw her.

Her hair was tussled, and her face had paled immensely.

"This school…" She began, then stopped to take a few more breaths, "is really frickin' weird."

Nayeli laughed and clapped, then set a hand on Kathryn's shoulder. Kathryn's knees nearly buckled.

"And that's just the staircase!" She grinned. She grabbed Kathryn's hand and took off again. Kathryn yelped and stumbled before finally managing to run along with her.

"Nayeli, you're going to kill me!" She cried out. Nayeli smirked, and took her to the balcony where she'd just been standing.

"Look." She ordered, pointing at the statue of Dumbledore, still standing tall. Kathryn looked, and saw the statue.

"Ok. It's a statue." She said sardonically. Nayeli rolled her eyes.

"Do you know who that is?" Nayeli asked. Kathryn gave her a look and shook her head no.

"Albus Dumbledore. He was the headmaster of this school when my dads and mom were coming here." She explained.

"Oh. Ok. What did he do to have a statue carved of him?" She asked. Nayeli shrugged.

"He was just a great guy. But that's the thing. The statue _is_ him." Nayeli explained. Kathryn stared at the statue, and then her eyes went wide. She snapped her head back at Nayeli.

"Wait, what? Like, he was petrified? _How _is that possible?" She asked, her mind blown. Nayeli smiled.

"My Mom did it, but they won't tell me how. I would love to know the spell that she used, though, that'd be great!" Nayeli grinned. Kathryn stared back at the statue, still baffled.

She shook her head.

_That breaks the laws of nature. Petrification takes ages! There's just no way! _She thought to herself.

_You're here, aren't you? You just tickled a staircase to get it to move. You turned a mouse into a goblet. It's real. Really, real._

She laughed, smirking at herself.

"Let's get back to the common room. I want to get started on that essay for Potions." She announced, walking away.

Nayeli snorted.

"You're such a bookworm! Besides, that essay isn't due until next week!" Nayeli pointed out. Kathryn stopped, walked back to Nayeli, and tagged her.

"Tag, you're it, no tag backs!" She barked, taking off at a run. Nayeli gave her a look, and then began to run after her.

"What the hell was that?" She asked. Kathryn stopped on the fourth staircase, and turned around.

"You've never played tag before?"

Nayeli shook her head, and crossed her arms.

"No. What is it?" She asked, walking up the steps. Kathryn laughed.

"It's a game. It's much more fun with a big group of people, but you take turns tagging each other and chasing after them." She explained. Nayeli chuckled, and they continued walking.

They walked in silence, staring at the portraits that littered the walls. Kathryn was thankful when she saw the Lady in the portrait at the entrance to Gryffindor commons.

"Hello, again." She greeted, smiling. The fat lady arched an eyebrow.

"Hello. Password?" She lulled.

"Fillibuster." She announced. She smiled as the door swung open. The first time she'd seen the moving portraits, she'd almost fallen over.

Nayeli yawned, and muttered a "goodnight" before walking up the steps to the first year dorms. Kathryn waited until she was sure that everyone was asleep, and grabbed her diary and quill and ink, scribbling in it.

_Dad:_

_You wouldn't believe where I am right now. I'm in a school for magic, called Hogwarts. This place is amazing! Candles float in midair. The ceiling above the dining hall shows the weather outside. I turned a mouse into a water goblet, and tickled a staircase to make it move._

_But the best thing? I made some friends today, Dad. I really wish that you could meet them. Nayeli Zabini, she's twelve, and in the same house as I am. Gryffindor. Their symbol is a Griffin. Severus Malfoy, Nayeli's twin. He's in Slytherin; their mascot is a snake._

_My teachers are really cool. They seemed really impressed with me today. I was so happy! A boy named Greggory Longbottom blew up a cauldron in Potions, and I made a feather float in the air._

_One of my teachers called me a muggle-born. That's what they call people that aren't full-blood magical, I guess. It's kinda silly. So what if I'm not a full-blood? I can do this, too!_

She pause to sniffle and wipe away a tear that threatened to fall.

_They said that I can stay over the holidays. I'm relieved. I don't want to go back to the orphanage, now that they know what I am. I'm scared. I think I'll find a place to hide here, and disappear during the summer._

She yawned, and stretched, then glanced at the clock above the fireplace. It was ten. She knew she wouldn't get to sleep anytime soon, and so went back to her entry.

_Even though it's the first day, I already have homework. They have a class called "Muggle Studies". I'd like to take it someday. It's supposed to be about our history. You would like it; you always used to say that once you got out of the Air Force, you'd go to school to be a history teacher._

She frowned at the last sentence, and wanted to erase it, but then remembered that she wasn't using a regular pencil anymore.

She decided to let it stay there.

_Well, Dad, I have an essay to write. I'll write more later._

_I love you, Dad. I miss you, so much…_

_Kathryn Huître._

She grabbed a roll of parchment, and began to write about all the ingredients for the 'Antidote to Common Poisons' in great detail, cross-referencing her Herbology book as well.

It was well past two in the morning when she stopped, and, too tired to move, she curled up in the lounge chair and rested her head on the arm, holding on to her diary for dear life.

* * *

Sheeva opened the curtains to the Gryffindor commons, shedding light on the dark room. She turned around and walked to the fireplace, poking at the embers and throwing a few logs on it, forming a sign and spitting fire at them.

They lit instantly, turning to a roaring, comforting fire within a few minutes. She smiled to herself, and set her hands on her hips, pleased with her work.

A groan rang in her ear to the left, and she jumped, turning to the sound. Kathryn had sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking up at Sheeva sleepily.

"What are you doing out here?" Sheeva asked.

"Oh, um… I fell asleep out here, ma'am." She replied, smiling sheepishly as she stood and gathered her books and put them back into her bookbag. She paused to yawn. Sheeva chuckled.

"Without a blanket? Were you not cold?" She asked. Kathryn shook her head.

"No, the fire kept me warm, ma'am. I'm used to it, ma'am." She muttered. Sheeva crossed her arms, studying the girl. She was very thin, and somewhat pale. Her clothes seemed to hang off of her, barely fitting. Sheeva took off her shawl and draped it over the girl's shoulders. It touched the ground, and Kathryn hurriedly picked it up.

"What is this for, ma'am?" She asked. Sheeva laughed.

"You must be cold… what was your name again?" She asked. Kathryn looked up at her.

"Kathryn, ma'am." She answered. Sheeva nodded.

"You can call me 'Sheeva', you know. I am fine with that." She bent down to pick up the scroll of parchment that held Kathryn's Potions essay. She unraveled it, scanning it over. She smiled. It was really well written, and in amazing detail.

"You finished it already. Draco will be pleased. What time did you sleep?" She asked. Kathryn looked down at the carpet, slightly embarrassed.

"A little after two. I don't sleep much, ma—uh, Sheeva."

Sheeva glanced at the clock. It was six in the morning.

"Insomnia?" She asked. Kathryn shook her head.

"No, I think I'm just used to it." She admitted, holding out her hand for the essay. Sheeva handed it back to her.

"Anything else that you are used to, dear? Is it due to the orphanage?" She asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. Kathryn looked up at her, shocked.

"How did you hear about that? Did Severus tell you?" She asked, again, embarrassed. Sheeva smiled and shook her head, remembering how she'd scared her son.

"I overhead the two of you talking." She sat down on the couch, folding her hands and setting them in her lap. Kathryn hopped back up on the large chair.

"The orphanage runs on donations and there's a lot of kids there." She answered shortly. Again, she didn't want to be a pity case.

"I'm fine though, it's nothing." She dismissed the issue.

Sheeva thought for a minute, remembering a piece of her own history. She'd run an orphanage shortly after the Black Death. Many children had lost their parents, and she tried as hard as she could to ensure that every occupant had a bed, clothes, and food. It was tough work, but after employing the help of the priests, she made it work.

"An orphanage that runs on donations? That is difficult. I… read about some of them. Do they feed you, at least?" She asked. Kathryn nodded, and forced a smile.

"Yes, they try. The portions are small, but they try." She lied. It was obvious to Sheeva's trained ears. However, she dismissed the matter and sat back in the couch, observing the girl again. She didn't look well nourished, not at all.

She also noticed that Kathryn was staring at a spot on the floor, deep in thought.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She started. Kathryn was brought to reality, and looked up.

"Oh. Um, nothing…" She muttered. Sheeva shook her head again. Another lie. If this kid was Pinocchio, her nose would have been two feet long by now.

"I suppose you are staying throughout the holidays? Nayeli and Severus will be staying, so you will not be all by your lonesome." She pressed, calmly trying to break the girl's shell.

At this, Kathryn brightened, giving her a smile.

"Yes, I'd love that! I can't wait!" She nearly shouted. Sheeva smiled.

"Make your time here count before you have to go home for the summer." Sheeva stated, watching Kathryn's reaction closely. Kathryn cringed inwardly, but kept the smile on her face, her muscles aching from keeping it forced.

"Yes, ma'am." She agreed, clutching her diary tightly. Sheeva noticed this too.

"You will be gone for three months. Can you handle that?" She asked. At this, the girl grew angry, scowling at her.

"Of course I can! I'm not a pity case! I can tough anything out!" She barked, then clapped her hands to her mouth, turning red. She tucked her knees up on the chair and looked away.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean to yell at you." She whispered, staring into the fire. Sheeva nodded, her suspicions confirmed. This girl didn't want to go back. She didn't blame her.

Kids started pouring out of their dorms, yawning and stretching, wiping the sleep away from their eyes. Nayeli was last out of the girl's dorm, looking slightly confused.

She smiled and said good morning to her mother and to Kathryn, who smiled back.

"You weren't in bed when I woke up. I was a little confused!" She started, sitting next to her mother.

"I accidentally woke her up early." Sheeva put in, catching Kathryn's eye. It was obvious to her that she didn't want anyone else to know about their conversation.

"Oh, ok. Your bed was made, so I thought you slept down here. You shouldn't do that, you'll get sick, you know." Nayeli explained. Kathryn faked another smile and nodded.

"I make my bed after I wake up. Something my dad always made me do. 'Military corners' and everything…" She added, trying to sound convincing. Nayeli nodded and shrugged the matter off. Her stomach growled loudly, and she winced.

"I'm starved. Is breakfast ready?" She asked her mother. Sheeva smiled and nodded.

"Yes, dear, it is. Eat fast. I do not want you to be late for class again." Sheeva chuckled. Nayeli frowned.

"Dad told you, huh? Darn…" She stood and waited for Kathryn to get up as well. She pulled the shawl from around her shoulders and handed it to Sheeva, placing her diary back in her bookbag and taking it with her.

"Thank you, Miss Sheeva." She smiled. Sheeva nodded, and stared at the fireplace for a few minutes, thinking things over. She couldn't help but be a little worried about the kid. She figured a visit to the orphanage was in order…

* * *

Well, i'm going to speed things up in my next few chapters, as i had planned the majority of the story to be set in their fifth year, when they're about 15, 16. Just a heads up. Unless you, my readers, don't like that idea. I'm flexible. review with questions/comments.


	3. Chapter 3

There's a time skip of four years here. Nayeli and Severus are 16, and Kathryn is 15. Jeffrey is four.

* * *

Sheeva, Blaise, and Draco were sound asleep, curled up in one another. A pair of feet crept across the floor, opened the door, and slowly tiptoed along the carpet to the edge of Draco's bed.

"Dad." A voice whispered, shaking Draco. He didn't answer, still deep asleep.

"Dad, wake up." The voice tried again, shaking a little harder. At this, Draco stirred, startled awake at the feeling of being pushed. He turned his head to the voice.

"Hn? What's up, kiddo?" He asked, rolling over and opening a sleepy eye.

"I had a bad dream… And I wet the bed…" The little voice admitted, ashamed. Draco sighed, yawned, and sat up, running a hand through his hair. He draped his legs over the bed and stretched, sighing in relief as his back popped.

He stood and dragged his feet sleepily to the adjoining bedroom.

There was a crumpled towel lying on the kid's sized bed, drenched in urine. His eyes opened a little wider, and his eyebrows arched.

"Dang, kid…" He chuckled, muttering as he picked up the towel and set it in the dirty laundry hamper.

"I'm sorry. I tried to clean it up…"

"Don't worry. I'm not mad. This happens. Your brother wet the bed until he was 6…" Draco explained, walking back into the master bedroom and retrieving his wand. With a wave, he cleared the mess. He also noticed that his youngest son had already changed his pants.

He sat down on Jeffrey's bed, and held out his arms to pull Jeffrey into a hug.

"Care to tell me what your bad dream was about?" He asked, lying his son in the bed and covering him, lying down and propping up his head with his palm. He reached around for Jeffrey's teddy bear, Ardelia, and placed it gently in his small hands.

"I was lost, in this really big forest. All the trees had doors, and each time I opened one up, they led to another really big forest with a bunch of doors. It kept going on and on!" He whispered. Draco smiled.

"That doesn't sound so bad." He stated.

"The last door that I opened, there was this gigantic black dog. It must have been the size of a bear! It had these big paws and scary red eyes, and it opened its mouth really wide and went to gobble me up!" He exclaimed. Draco arched an eyebrow. Now _that _was an element of a really scary dream.

"But you're here now. You're safe, kiddo. Go back to sleep." He chuckled, closing his eyes sleepily and yawning again. It must have been two in the morning by the way he felt.

"What if I have another bad dream?" Jeffrey asked, his voice small and eyes wide with fear. Draco shook his head and kissed Jeffrey lightly on the forehead.

"You won't. If it makes you feel better, I'll stay here." He offered. Jeffrey smiled and hugged Draco, and closed his eyes.

"I love you, Daddy." He muttered.

Draco smiled, his eyes tearing up.

"I love you too, Jeffrey. Goodnight."

* * *

Nayeli yawned, her head propped up on two fingers, trying her best to pay attention to her father's lecture, but it seemed almost impossible. Kathryn, Nayeli, Lily, and Albus had stayed up late studying for their Transfigurations test.

Kathryn nudged Nayeli with her elbow as her eyes had drooped closed for more than a few minutes.

"Stay awake. You can take a nap later." She whispered, seeming to be wide awake. Nayeli grunted.

"Says the human machine." She yawned. Kathryn chuckled, and dipped her quill into her ink bottle, scribbling down the notes that appeared on the chalk board as Draco spoke. He'd started doing this a few weeks at the start of first year, when Nayeli brought it to his attention that Kathryn wore hearing aids.

Draco paused in his lecture to yawn himself, and the class yawned back in response. Yawns are contagious, after all.

"Alright, that's it. Stretch break. Everybody stand up." He growled, allowing himself to stretch. He turned his neck and felt and heard a loud pop, groaning. It was still sore from the way he'd slept in Jeffrey's tiny bed.

The class enjoyed these moments, giggling as they stood. Professor Malfoy was the only teacher to give stretch breaks in class, and they were shocked to learn that they actually helped.

"Did Jeffrey wake you up?" Severus asked. Draco nodded slowly, taking a long drink from his coffee cup. Straight, black, bitter, nasty coffee.

Severus chuckled, and sat back down, looking over at Nayeli. He was happy that they had a brother, and he wanted to see if Nayeli was, too. She ignored his telepathy, and hardly spoke to them all, having been a little moody lately due to lack of sleep.

To his surprise, Kathryn was staring at him from across the room, but she turned away, blushing slightly when their eyes locked. Severus felt his own cheeks heat up, but suppressed it and went back to his notes.

"…most forms of love potions can be deadly when brewed wrong, so if you're going to make one, for the love of Merlin, do it right." He growled. A few of the students chuckled. He checked his watch, and sighed.

"Alright… I want an essay on the ingredients, the uses, and the dangers of brewing the potion wrong at my door next Thursday… or earlier, if you're really feeling ambitious." He added as an afterthought, knowing that Kathryn would most likely have it done that evening.

As Nayeli and Kathryn were packing up their belongings, Severus walked over to them, cramming all of his notes and books in his bag carelessly.

"Hey, Sis, what's up?" He asked, practically cornering her. She looked up at him and stared at him, a faraway look on her eyes. She growled and pushed past him, muttering an "I'm fine".

He watched her walk away, and then turned back to Kathryn, the sadness on his face shining like a beacon.

"Do you know what's going on with her?" He asked. She looked at him and smiled, and shrugged her shoulders.

"We were up late studying for Professor Potter's test today. She might just be grumpy from lack of sleep." She explained, biting her lip. Severus looked away as he thought that it looked cute. He turned away, shaking his head.

"I've got to get to class. I'll see you around." He went to leave, but she called out after him.

"Hey, wait!"

He turned back around. She was blushing madly, twirling a lock of her hair in her fingers.

"I was wondering… Do you… maybe… Go to Hogsmeade with me, and… have dinner? You don't have to… if you don't want to…" She trailed off, looking anywhere but him. He smirked, and nodded, signing a yes. Her eyes lit up, and she turned beet red, grabbing her bookbag and taking off, barreling out of the door.

Severus laughed aloud at her reaction, and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"So, the bookworm has a date." Draco announced. Severus jumped, and let out a startled cry, as he'd forgotten that his father was still there. Draco smirked.

"Heh, uh, that… it's nothing. Just dinner, that's all." He blurted, thankful for his dark skin, otherwise Draco would have seen him blushing madly. Draco chuckled, and reached into his cloak pocket, grabbing a handful of galleons.

"That. Was. A. Date." He said, and with every word, he handed Severus a coin. He picked out the last, and flicked it up in the air. Severus caught it skillfully. He wasn't the Seeker for Slytherin for nothing.

"Don't screw this up. You owe me." He stated, turning around and walking out of the classroom, grinning to himself. _Draco, you sly dog, you._ He complimented himself.

Severus pocketed the coins, and rushed out of the classroom. He was really going to be late for Astronomy now, but he didn't give a damn.

* * *

"You did _what_?" Nayeli shrieked, laughing. Kathryn slapped a hand to Nayeli's mouth, blushing as she hissed at her to "shut up". She looked out of the corner of her eye. Severus hadn't seemed to notice. She sighed.

"Well, it just slipped out." She muttered, twirling her hair and giggling.

"How did I not realize this? Since when have you had the hots for my _brother_?" Nayeli asked, taking a bite of steak. Kathryn shrugged and opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"I… I dunno. Over the summer, I guess. I just… couldn't help but notice." She whispered dreamily, smiling to herself.

"Notice what?" Lily asked, breaking herself into their conversation. Kathryn blushed even more.

"His eyes. Their color is so pretty, like the green of grass. Oh, and his arms… they look so… muscular." She giggled. Nayeli gagged.

"That's my brother you're talking about! Eww, I don't need to hear this." Nayeli announced, burying herself in her dinner. Kathryn smirked.

"And his hair, it looks so wonderfully soft. I would love to run my hands through it. And his lips. I want to kiss them." She continued, joking now.

"La la la, I can't hear you! I'm not listening!" She mocked, clapping her hands to her ears. Lily, Albus, and Kathryn burst into laughter.

"So, when are you going?" Lily asked. Kathryn dropped her fork and looked up in shock.

"Oh God, I totally forgot to set up a day! Oh, I'm so stupid!" She growled, facepalming. Nayeli laughed.

"You were nervous, you said so yourself. Don't worry. Severus would have done the same thing. He can't talk to girls to save his life." She insulted.

_So, what time are you two going on your date?_ Nayeli asked her brother.

_Oh… um… how'd you find out about that?_ He asked.

_She told me, duh. We _are_ best friends, after all. _She responded.

They calmed down, and Nayeli chuckled, taking out her drawing pad and working on one of the pictures she'd been drawing. She'd taken to drawing out her nightmares recently, as they bothered her immensely. There was very little sound, but the vividness of the images were enough to scare the hell out of her.

She was currently drawing a portrait of a man with blonde, curly locks of hair who was leading an army of dead, wiping out cities and towns, searching frantically for someone, or something. This man was dressed like a general, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to haunt her daily.

She jumped as Kathryn spoke up.

"Have another nightmare?" She asked. Nayeli slowly nodded, upset.

"You can always talk to me, you know. I'm always up late." She muttered. Nayeli thanked her, and continued drawing, trying to get the images down on paper, as she felt this might come in handy sometime later on in life.

"What are you drawing, Nayeli?" Sheeva's voice asked, standing across from Nayeli, smiling down at her. Nayeli went on the defensive and closed her book, putting away her pencils.

"Just something from a dream, that's all." She lied. Sheeva nodded, and set the matter aside. Her little girl was a growing woman, and if she didn't need to talk about it, that was fine with her. To an extent.

"Are you having nightmares, again?" Sheeva asked. Nayeli nodded.

"Yeah, but they're harmless." She muttered.

The conversation was cut short when a paper bird flew over to Kathryn, tweeted itself at her, and then dive-bombed into her juice. They looked up, and then over at the Slytherin table. Severus was hiding his head in embarrassment. He wanted to disappear off the face of the earth.

Sheeva laughed aloud, amused at her son's attempts to be 'romantic'.

_Fucking dogshit. That wasn't supposed to happen._ Severus' voice muttered in Nayeli's head. Nayeli laughed.

Kathryn smiled and took it out of the juice, dried it with a flick of her wand, and opened it, then grinned.

_7:00, Saturday night?_ _–SM_

She scribbled "Yes" on it, and waved her wand. It folded itself back up, and took off, flying over to the Slytherin table. She purposely made it dive-bomb into Severus' juice, and when he looked up, she winked at him, smirking.

His heart lifted. Just like her to take this moment in stride and humor. As he pulled the bird out of his juice, dried it, and read her response, he smiled. He grabbed his cup and tipped it at her. She laughed from across the room, tipping her drink to him as well.

"Excuse me, I think I am going to go have a little cry." Sheeva muttered, walking away to sit with her husbands. Nayeli rolled her eyes.

"That was too cute. Give me a barf bag." She joked. Kathryn shoved her playfully.

"Oh shut it!" She laughed, and grabbed her bag, standing and excusing herself from the table. Lily stopped her before she left.

"Hey, do you have something to wear?" She asked. Kathryn stopped, as she realized, she really didn't. She slowly shook her head, embarrassed. Lily smiled.

"Cool! You can go through my closet, take what you want. Go crazy!" She laughed. Kathryn smiled, and thanked her before leaving. She took her time walking back to the Gryffindor commons. A couple of Hufflepuff students bumped into her, and she dropped her bag, apologizing and backing away.

They stood up straight, crossing their arms and looking down at her.

"Where do you think you're going, _girl_?" One of the boys growled, leering at her. She took a few steps back, holding up her hands apologetically.

"I'm just going to my house, that's all. I really am sorry."

He glanced at her ensign, and sneered.

"A Gryffindork, huh?" He growled. She back up into someone else, as she hadn't noticed that the group had encircled her.

"Hey, I recognize you. You're that muggle know-all… Huître, right?" One of them laughed at her last name.

"I don't know who you're talking about." She tried to say sternly, but her voice only came out in a small whisper.

"You little liar. Of course you do, little _girl_." The man growled. She reached for her wand, taking it out and pointing it at him, aimed straight for his neck. He merely chuckled, grabbed her wrist, and twisted her arm, making her drop her wand. It fell over the rail and fell three stories down. She hissed, and turned her body to try to alleviate the pain.

"Let me go, please, let me go!" She pleaded, tears forming in her eyes.

He threw her into an empty classroom, and they followed, cracking their knuckles.

"We're not letting you go. What makes you think we'd do that? Considering you lied to us and all…"

She looked behind him and saw that the door was still open. She looked back at her tormentor, and readied a punch. She threw it, and it collided with his face. He stumbled backward, shocked, and she took the opportunity to run for it.

Two of them grabbed at her hair and pulled it, yanking her off of her feet and backwards. They held her down, and the one that she had punched straightened himself out, rubbing his jawline.

"Damn, she got you good, Low!" One of the boys remarked, causing the others to laugh.

"Shut up, Bubeck!" He barked, shutting the door and locking it with a click. He then turned to her, and rushed at her, clapping a hand over her mouth as he grabbed her glasses off of her face and dropped them on the floor. She whimpered as he stepped on them and they heard a loud crunch.

He studied her a little closer, and then noticed the hearing aids she wore. She fought against them furiously as he plucked them out of her ears, and said something to her. Of course, she didn't hear it.

"Hey, you're not gonna break those, are you? That's kinda messed up. Those things are expensive." Someone muttered. The man looked at him and glared.

"Shut up, Creevy. She deserves this!" He hissed as he crushed them in his palm. She cried out and bit his hand. He screamed and began to punch her, hitting her eyes, her nose, her cheekbone… whatever he could reach.

Still, she didn't let go of his hand, thoroughly angered.

The man grabbed his wand, pointed it at her head, and muttered: "Crucio."

Her eyes went wide before she squeezed them shut, screaming from the pain. It felt like something was boring into her skull, as well as though she were being stabbed over and over again all over her body.

He moved his wand away, and glared at her.

"Let go of my hand, you bitch!" He yelled. She heard his this time, barely, but refused anyway. This jackass was going to pay anyway that she could make him. She bit down harder, and he cried out, trying to pull away his hand.

"Crucio!" He cursed her again, and she bit harder, fighting against them. She almost succeeded in throwing one of them off of her, but her body gave out, and she involuntarily relaxed. The man pulled away his hand, cradling it.

"You muggle rat!" He hissed. She glared at him.

"Fuck you, supremist!" She growled, and spit at him. It landed on his cheek, and slid down. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, and raised his wand, ready to curse her again. The other boys chickened out and rushed out of the door, running down the stairs.

He ignored them and cursed her again. She screamed and twisted, curling up in the fetal position, wheezing and sobbing when he released it. It hurt to high hell.

He raised his wand and was about to do it again before the door burst open, slamming into the wall with such a force that the doorknob drove a hole into the wall and the door stuck open.

Severus and Nayeli came barreling in the room, and when Severus saw Kathryn's condition, he took out his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" He hissed, shaking with rage. The wand flew out of the man's hand and clattered on the floor a few feet away. The man went to retrieve it, but Severus took a few steps forward and forced him to back away from it.

"Don't you fucking dare." He growled, kicking the man's wand further out of reach.

Severus hit the man with a spell that caused him to keel over and puke, and the man groaned as he involuntarily pissed and shat himself with the severity of the puking.

He puked until there was nothing left, and after that, he dry-heaved for a good ten minutes before Severus lifted the spell.

"If you _ever_ hurt her again, I'll put your ass in the hospital wing, understand?" He growled. He waited for the man to shakily nod his head.

"Get the fuck out of here." He hissed. The man scuttled across the floor, his robes dragging through his own vomit as he grabbed up his wand and rushed out of the still-open door.

He went to take a step forward, but felt his foot step on something. He lifted it, and looked down, and winced. It was her hearing aids and glasses.

He bent down and picked the remnants up, and pocketed them, and then picked Kathryn up. She'd fainted, thank Merlin. He sighed, and looked at Nayeli.

"Go get Mom and Dads. I'll take her to the hospital wing." He ordered.

Nayeli nodded and left for the Dungeons, taking the steps two, sometimes three at a time.

Severus hurriedly took her to the hospital wing, helping Madam Pomfrey any way that he could. If he ever saw that man again, there'd be hell to pay.

When she came to, she jumped when she remembered that she was under attack, but then calmed down as she realized she was in the hospital wing. She glanced around and saw Severus, and smiled.

"Severus." She said. He looked up at the small whisper, and grinned at her.

"How are you doing?" He asked. She watched his lips move, and frowned. She opened her mouth to speak a little more clearly, but a twinge of pain shot along her jawline and she winced.

_H-u-r-t_. She signed. He nodded and took her hand.

"I'm so sorry, I wish I had gotten there sooner." He apologized. She only smiled and shook her head.

_I-t i-s o-k._ She signed.

He turned his head and looked in the direction of the wing door, dropping her hand and standing up. His fathers and mother were rushing towards him, furious. He couldn't recall seeing them this angry, ever in his lifetime. Jeffrey was clinging to Sheeva's shoulders, and jumped down when they stopped, taking Sheeva's hand and staring at the girl in the bed.

"What happened?" Sheeva asked, setting a hand on Severus' shoulder as she lightly pushed Jeffrey behind her. She didn't want him to see this.

"A Hufflepuff beat her up. It was Jackson Low." He explained. She slowly nodded. Her whole body was aching.

"Is this your wand?" Blaise asked, holding out her wand. She frowned and nodded again, reaching her hand up for it, a little shakily. As soon as she clasped it, her arm dropped back down on the bed. Blaise definitely noticed.

"What else did he do to you?" He asked. She looked up at him, loopy.

_C-r-u-c-i-o_. She signed. She closed her eyes. This was exhausting.

Blaise's eyes and nose flared, and he crossed his arms, glaring. Draco inwardly cringed as he began to remember how much it hurt. Sheeva scowled, and gently touched Kathryn's cheek. Nayeli and Severus exchanged glances.

"What is that?" Nayeli asked. They hadn't been taught about it, and judging by their parent's reactions, within good reason.

Draco put his fingers in Jeffrey's ears, plugging them. He didn't want their four-year-old to be scarred for life.

"The Cruciatus Curse. It's meant as a torturing device, able to inflict a pain that is so intense you'll wish you'd die. Words can't even begin to compare to the pain… The only way you'd understand is if you were put under it, and there's no way in hell I'd ever do that to you. Or to anyone… not unless they absolutely deserved it." Draco muttered, a faraway look in his eyes. He shuddered as he remembered something, but Severus didn't know what it was.

"Somebody cast this on you?" Severus asked, shaking.

Draco, Blaise, and Sheeva slowly nodded.

"All three of you?"

Again, they nodded. Both siblings were shaking now, and were trying to keep their dinners down.

No one had noticed that Kathryn had fallen asleep, or that Jeffrey was tinkering with the broken glasses and hearing aids.

Severus and Nayeli hugged their parents, attempting to bring them back to reality. Their faraway, blank stares began to unnerve them.

"Hey, look, Mommy! Lookit what I did!" Jeffrey exclaimed, holding up the pair of glasses, no longer broken. In fact, they looked as good as new. They all turned and stared at him, shocked. Sheeva smiled.

"That is amazing, Jeffrey! How did you do that?" She asked, taking them from him and examining them. They really did look brand-new. No scratches, no bends.

"I don't know! Watch, I'll fix these things!" He exclaimed happily. They watched as he held out his hand above the broken hearing aids and closed his eyes, concentrating really hard. A bright blue light flashed from his palm and the hearing aids broke apart, disassembling themselves. The pieces flew about like a tornado, and rearranged themselves.

He dropped his hand, a little dizzy.

He grinned up at them like he'd just won a medal. They all stared back at him in shock.

Sheeva knelt down, and held out her arms to scoop him into a hug. She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder as she began to cry from joy. She picked him up, and hugged Severus and Nayeli too.

"I love you so much, my children. You are so wonderful. So special. You all are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I could never be more proud." She cried. Severus and Nayeli teared up, and gave their fathers a confused look. They could only smile back, happy.

It was then that the twins began to wonder if there was something really big that their parents weren't telling them…

* * *

So, if you want, I'll write a little bit about the time between their first year and their fifth, but only by request.

Have a good day, all!


	4. Chapter 4

Overall, this may be a short chapter, but it's an important one, i think. The next one will be longer, and much more vital. Still, i'm pleased with myself. enjoy!

* * *

Sheeva was assisting Draco in managing the rowdy potions class. They were all hyped, as it was Friday, and a Hogsmeade visit was around the corner. Severus and Kathryn's minds were not on the class, rather, they were giddy, thinking about their upcoming "date". Nayeli was happy that the weekend was here, as she could go to town, grab a drink, and come back and hopefully pass out and get a decent night's rest.

The dungeon door swung open as a messenger walked in, frustrated and confused. He saw Sheeva, and walked straight up to her, handing her a letter.

"What is this?" She asked. The man shrugged.

"I don't know, but the guy that gave it to me kept repeating your name. He was talking in a funny language." He answered. She examined the letter carefully.

"What did he look like?" She interrogated. The messenger shrugged again.

"I didn't see his face. He had it covered up with a wolf-looking mask. Kinda cool, actually." He muttered, walking away. Sheeva's eyes widened and she turned around, back to the class. Her face paled, and she shakily opened the letter, scanning it over. Draco peeked at the writing. He didn't recognize it; it was written in some kind of code. He guessed that it was her language from the way she reacted.

"What's wrong?" Draco muttered. She looked up at him worriedly and then back at the letter.

"Outside. I do not want the twins to hear." She mouthed, pocketing the letter and forcing a smile as she left the dungeon. Draco followed her quickly. Nayeli noticed, and followed him with her eyes. Her father was worried, a rare occasion.

_Something's up with Dad and Mom._ She thought to Severus. Severus blinked. He hadn't been paying attention.

_What?_ He asked. Nayeli groaned and rolled her eyes, walked over to him, and pulled him by the cloak towards the door. She held a finger to her mouth, and leaned her ear against the door. He did the same. They listened hard to the hushed voices of their parents.

"_He wants to take you back to Kadessa? Why?" _Draco asked.

"_I do not know… I will need to ask him to find out exactly why. Draco… If they come here while I am gone, you and Blaise take the kids, and get the hell out of here. Understand? They will use you to get to me, as they used Kadie… I cannot bear to witness that again, not again…Never again." _

Their chests tightened as they heard their mother weeping, and they backed away from the door, staring at each other.

_Kadessa? Where the hell is that?_ Nayeli asked, looking back at the door, full of concern. Severus shook his head and shrugged.

_What I want to know is who this "Kadie" is. Wait… Is there a sibling that we don't know about?_ He asked back, taking a few steps away from the door in case their parents walked back in.

Nayeli's eyes went wide at the mention of a possible older sibling, and her stomach sank.

She rushed back to her seat, and Severus followed as they heard the door handle rattle. They sat up as their father walked back in, scowling, obviously distressed about something.

"Class will be dismissed. You're all not paying attention anyway. Enjoy Hogsmeade. Don't do anything incredibly stupid…" He stated, his back to his students. They cheered and grabbed their belongings and rushed out of the door, chatting about the weekend. Nayeli and Severus stayed rooted to their seats. Kathryn waited for them, but then stood and left, figuring that they had something to talk about.

"I'll see you later, Nayeli. Bye, Severus." She smiled at him and waved. He cracked a smile, and then frowned when she left, still thinking about what they'd overheard.

Draco hadn't noticed that they'd stayed behind. He stared at him desk, and then slammed his hand down on the wood, cursing.

"Damn it!" He burst, fuming. He crossed his arms and began to pace madly, then looked up as he realized that he wasn't alone.

Severus and Nayeli had stood and were leaning against one of the tables, staring at him.

"What's going on, Dad?" Severus started. Draco stopped, staring at them. He opened his mouth, and then shut it again.

"It's nothing. Not your concern." He growled, grabbing his coat and making to leave. Nayeli cut him off.

"No, Dad, it's not 'nothing'. What was that letter about?" She asked. Draco took a few steps back. Severus went to stand by his sister, blocking the hallway to the door completely.

Draco stared at them, a saddened look in his eyes. He sighed, and ruffled his hair, staring at the floor.

"Come by the office later. There's something that we should have told you, a long time ago, but I don't want to do it without your mother and Blaise there." He scowled at the floor, mentally criticizing himself.

Nayeli and Severus blinked, and then slowly agreed.

"Alright, Dad. We'll be back." Nayeli muttered. Without another word, she left. Severus waited for a few minutes. His dad wouldn't look at him, and he almost looked like he were about ready to break down and cry.

He walked up to him and gave him a hug. Startled, Draco hugged his son back, tightly, as if he were going to vanish in the next second.

"Your mother, father, and I love the three of you, very much. Please, don't ever forget that." He muttered. Severus smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Dad, I know that. I could never forget."

"Promise me something, Severus Allan Malfoy." Draco started. Severus was taken aback. He rarely used his full name, unless it was something that he'd done to get in trouble or something incredibly serious. He looked at him.

"What?"

Draco held him by his shoulders at arm's length, and looked him straight in the eye. His expression was dark, stern, and somewhat cold, almost angry. Severus swallowed.

"If anything happens to Sheeva, Blaise or me, protect your siblings. Take them, and run. Hide. Do you understand?" He growled. Severus gaped at him.

When Severus didn't respond, Draco shook him a little.

"Do you?" He asked. Severus shakily blurted out a "yes, sir", nodding viscously. Draco sighed, and dropped his head, wiping away the sweat from his forehead. He quickly turned and walked out of the room, leaving a very confused and terrified Severus.

* * *

Kathryn looked up as Nayeli walked in, and smiled at her.

"Hey, are you ready for the weekend?" She asked. Nayeli looked at her, dazed. She was playing out what she thought that their parents had to tell them the entire trip to her common room.

Kathryn frowned.

"What's with you? You're spacey today." She asked, putting away her Potions essay.

"I'm just… Tired of nightmares." She replied, lying. Kathryn seemed to buy it, and shook her head.

"I can probably brew you a Dreamless Sleep. Want me to try?" She asked. Nayeli chuckled a little bit.

"I have no doubt you could, but I'd feel a little more comfortable if Dad was the one to do that." She admitted. Kathryn smirked, and shrugged it off.

"Of course. You should ask him for some." She said. Nayeli nodded.

"There's something that my parents need to talk to me about. So, I'll be gone for a while." She announced. Kathryn frowned.

"What about?"

Nayeli shrugged, and sat down. She glanced at the clock. It was only 4:30. She scowled. They'd have quite a while to wait. She grabbed her portfolio, and continued to draw. She scowled even more and slammed it shut after a while, startling the other students in the room.

She stood, and announced that she was going to go train, something that she hadn't done in a while.

She changed into something a little more comfortable; a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, grabbed her bow-staff, and walked to the courtyard. She merely glanced at the statue of Dumbledore, and whipped the staff around, smacking an invisible enemy in the forehead. She spun it around above her head and jabbed the enemy in the stomach, thrusting the invisible person aside.

She pushed one edge of the staff against the ground, lifted herself in the air, kicking and as she landed, she cut the air with her weapon. She stood, and spun around, bringing the edge of the staff down.

She gave a startled cry when Severus blocked her attack, stopping the bow with his hand. He winced from the pain, his eyes widened and then squeezed shut.

"Ow." He hissed, shaking his hand and rubbing it.

"Sorry. What are you doing?" Nayeli asked. He sighed.

"Want to spar? I'm pretty irritated too. And, if there's people threatening our family, we need to train more to defend it." He muttered, eyes downcast and eerily dark. Nayeli nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go." She agreed, getting into a fighting stance. He put up his dukes as well. Nayeli threw the first punch, and Severus slapped it out of the way, aiming a punch for her face. Nayeli blocked it and stepped to the side, aiming for his ribcage.

He pushed it aside quickly, his palm slapping against her forearm. They attacked and blocked left and right, the stings from their blocks hardly registering. Nayeli's fist finally collided with Severus' lip, and he stumbled backwards. It'd split open, and began to bleed. He wiped it with the back of his hand, slightly surprised.

_Sorry._ Nayeli apologized. He shook his head, and threw a fake punch, stepping behind her and kicking her in the butt. She stumbled forward and did something of a handstand and flipped over, regaining her balance.

_Smooth save_. He complimented. She smirked.

They trained until the sun had set. The clock bell rang, and they stared at it as though it were counting their impending doom. It was just a little after 7.

Severus stuck his hands in his pockets, and looked down at the ground.

_Let's go._ He walked on. Nayeli picked up her staff and followed him in.

Severus found himself hesitating at their parent's door. Nayeli didn't blame him. She was the one to knock on the door, and even then, it was a light tap, barely audible. Jeffrey was the one to open the door. He grinned at them.

"Hi Sissy! Hi Sevy!" He called out, grabbing their wrists and pulling them in, then hugging them tightly. They almost began to cry as they hugged him back.

"Hi, Jeffrey." They muttered back.

"Alright, Jeffrey. Off to bed with you." Sheeva stated, opening the door to his bedroom for him.

"Aww… Do I have to?" He asked, slouching dramatically. Severus and Nayeli cracked a smile.

"We'll hang out first thing tomorrow morning, ok?" Severus reassured him. Jeffrey smiled and brightened.

"Promise?" He asked. Severus nodded and smiled. Jeffrey skipped off to his bedroom to change into his pajamas and then back out to give everyone hugs and kisses.

As soon as the light went out and the door was shut, Sheeva took a deep breath. She turned around and stared at them. They stared back.

Their mother was nervous. It was a nervousness beyond the normal 'worrying mother mode' nervous that they'd tease her about every so often.

Draco cast a Muffliato spell on the room, making sure that Jeffrey wouldn't be able to overhear their conversation. Sheeva looked from her children to her husbands, unsure of where to even start. She made up her mind, and took off her shawl, and formed a sign with her hands. She winced in pain as her wings slowly slid out from beneath her shoulders, and her shield fell, showing her many scars.

Severus and Nayeli stared at their mother, amazed and frightened at the same time.

"What… Where the hell did you get those wings?" Severus barked.

"How did you get those scars? Who did this to you, mother?" Nayeli shrieked.

Both of them were beyond furious now, shaking with rage.

Sheeva smiled sadly.

"This was not done to me, Nayeli. This _is _me." She muttered. Severus blinked slowly, stepping forward and taking her hand. Nayeli was still too stunned to move.

_This is her? What the hell is she talking about, Severus?_

_I don't know…_

"I don't understand…" He muttered, heavily confused. She nodded, and set her hand on his cheek. Only then did he notice the numbers tattooed on her wrist. He grabbed it, and stared at it, and then looked back at her, his eyes asking his question.

Nayeli finally moved forward at Severus' sharp action, and stared at the tattoo. She recognized it, too, and nearly lost her lunch.

"Why do you have this?" She asked. Sheeva slowly nodded.

"I was in Auschwitz. In 1940, I attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler. I was betrayed by one of my own, and turned in. Originally, I was sent to the gas chambers. When they learned I was immortal, they sent me to be experimented on." She explained. Severus backed away, and turned to his fathers, a questioning look on his face. They nodded. Draco looked away, glancing at the family photo on the dresser.

"You're immortal?" Nayeli asked, trying to ensure she'd heard right. Sheeva nodded.

"Yes, Nayeli. I am. I have been living here for the last twelve-thousand years." She admitted. Severus looked up, glaring at her.

"That's impossible! There's no such thing!" He spat angrily, pacing the floor.

"Severus… it is. It really is. Time stopped for me when I was banished here from Kadessa. The gods did so so that I would protect this world." She muttered, reaching out her hand for Severus to take. He backed away from her, staring at her like she was trying to hand him poison.

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Nayeli asked, sitting down on the couch, staring, glossy-eyed, at Sheeva.

"I could not. I did not want to take the risk that they, the people I came from, would use you. As your mother, I was only wanting to protect you." She explained, her heart heavy.

"No." Severus blurted, glaring at her, tears spilling from his eyes.

Sheeva looked at him.

"No. You're not our mother! There's no way! A mother wouldn't keep these kinds of secrets! You're not our mother!" He yelled, his throat tight and constricted with pain. If her heart could literally break, Sheeva would have felt it do so at that moment. He grabbed the door handle and threw the door open, running out of the door and as far away from the room as he could.

"Severus! Wait! Please, Severus!" She called out. She fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands. Nayeli went to comfort her, while Draco and Blaise took off after him.

"Severus!" They called out. Severus didn't stop running, even when he was out of breath. He'd made it to a secret room he'd discovered by accident, which, by a series of experiments, he learned only appeared when he really needed it.

He stood facing the wall, panting.

_I need a place to hide, so that my fathers can't find me… if they really are my fathers… I need a place to think. I need proof._ He thought, still furious. A silver door appeared in front of him, with an ensign of his mother, a little blonde, curly haired girl, and another man that he didn't recognize. He was a little surprised, as the door never looked like this before.

"Severus, where are you?" Draco called out, a little bit down the hallway. Severus snapped his head back at the door and opened it, and barged in. He let out a startled cry as he fell into darkness. He looked behind him, and saw the light from the still open door drifting farther and farther away. He screamed as it shut itself with a loud bang.

He hit the ground, hard, and he saw white in the back of his head. His eyes closed and he fought to keep them open, but found that he couldn't. Helplessly alone, he fainted, senses going cold to the world around him.

* * *

Off to writing the next chapter!

Hope you enjoyed it! Review, please?


	5. Chapter 5

This was a tough chapter for me to write, but not quite as bad as the one for "Peace". (Those of you that read it will know what I'm referring to.)

I have to admit, though, I had a fun time writing this chapter. :) I hope you all have a fun time reading it.

* * *

Severus groaned as he came to, stomach aching and head reeling. He pushed himself up, and then hissed as a pain shot up his left arm. He lifted his hand and looked at his wrist. It was a gross mixture of red and purple. He'd somehow sprained it.

As he looked around, however, he was extremely confused. Wind swept his black hair, and tall grass tickled his nose. He sat up, turning his head slowly, mouth agape and eyes wide open as they took in the foreign landscape in front of him.

He was in a vast field on a mountainside that overlooked a small village. He was sitting in a patch of strange looking purple, white, and lavender flowers that swayed like leaves in the wind. Birds flew over his head, and he looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun's rays. He looked at the sky, scanning it for the doorway.

To his dismay, there wasn't one. At this, he stood, startled and… scared. No… scared was an understatement at this point. He turned around, trying to still his racing heartbeat.

He sat himself back down, and smacked his cheek as hard as his body would allow him. It stung a little bit, signaling to him that this wasn't a dream. At this, he sighed.

"Ok… that door must have just been some sort of portkey, that's all. I can find my way back to Hogwarts. Nothing to be afraid of." He reassured himself. He had to admit, he was proud of himself.

He heard laughing behind him, and he jerked his head around, happy that he'd found _people_. Or rather, that they'd found him. The smile was wiped off his face as he saw his mother and another man running through the field, holding hands.

"Mom? What the hell are you doing?" He shouted, enraged that she'd even be doing such a thing. When she didn't answer, he stood up and ran over to her, trying to push the man away. He let out a yelp when he ran straight through the man. Flabbergasted, he turned around.

They continued on, dancing with each other happily, gazing into one another's eyes lovingly. The happiness he saw in his mother's eyes was one that she had when being with them, and with their fathers. It was pure _love._

"Mom, who is this guy?" He barked. She didn't notice him. She didn't even seem to hear him.

He glared at the man she was holding hands with, examining him closely. He blinked a few times, and slowly recognized his face. He'd only seen the door for a split second, and the man here was the man on the door. His blonde hair was shoulder-length and curly, and his eyes were a striking blue. His wings were long and white, the very ends of them dragging along the ground.

He watched in horror as they kissed, and then took a few steps back when the man dropped to one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. It wasn't very flattering. In fact, it looked incredibly cheap. The man held an apologetic look on his face, saying something in a language that Severus couldn't understand.

His mother squealed in glee and threw her arms around him, repeating what he figured to be yes. He'd also heard something else, which he figured to be the man's name: Tazaro. This scruffy, poor-looking bastard, with wings no less, had asked his mother to marry her, and she'd guiltlessly said yes.

He reared back a fist and punched the man straight through the head, somehow forgetting that he seemed not to exist. He stumbled through them, shuddering as a chill erupted through his legs where they'd passed through the man.

The scenery swirled around and around, the colors mixing together. Wind whipped at his hair, and he shielded his eyes as leaves and grass picked up and cut at him. Severus felt dizzy, and shut his eyes, unable to bear the undiscernible blur.

The wind stopped, and he gazed upon a new scene. The man and his mother were walking through a market, and she looked pregnant. Severus looked around, eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

_When the hell did all this get here? How?_ He wondered. He watched as they purchased some pumpkins, and how his mother grabbed the man's hand and set it on her belly. The baby must have been kicking, Severus guessed.

The scenery changed again, and Severus tried to call out to one of the people before they disappeared. Too late, he realized, as he found himself back in the field. His mother and that man were sitting down on a blanket with a young girl wearing a blue dress. She had her hair back in pigtails, tied with blue ribbon to match the dress and her eyes.

Severus looked at them all, and saw the resemblance to his mother and to the man. He also recognized the little girl as being the one on the door. She, like her mother, had no wings.

"Kadie?" He said aloud. When the scene continued on, he remembered that he was non-existent, and so sat down and crossed his arms, waiting for the next turn of events. The man pulled a golden pocket watch from his coat pocket, checked the time, and stood. Severus figured that he'd announced that they should leave, because they stood too, packing up their things. The wind whipped around again, and he closed his eyes, waiting.

When he was sure that the scenery change was over, he opened them. This time, he was in a house. His mother was on the couch, crying and holding onto Tazaro for dear life. He noticed that Tazaro was holding a letter in his hand, a forlorn look on his face.

Tazaro took his mother's hand in his, and said more words Severus couldn't understand. Sheeva stood sharply, yelling what Severus took to be "no", over and over again. Tazaro stood and hugged her, and she slapped his chest in anger, still continuing to shout "no".

Tazaro nodded slowly, and Severus caught his mother's name and Kadie's name, as well as the word "Kadessa".

_Didn't Mom say that she was from someplace called Kadessa? _He wasn't sure what was going on, but from the way that his mother reacted, he guess that maybe Tazaro was going to war, or being sent to jail. He found himself hoping that it was the former, rather than the latter.

He gasped as he realized: _this must be mom's memory!_

He relaxed a little bit, and smiled slightly, feeling foolish. All this time, he thought that he was witnessing his mother having an affair with some poor bastard named "Tazaro", when all he was really witnessing was simply her memories. He felt his stomach turn when the scenery changed again, and closed his eyes. He swallowed hard to suppress the urge to puke.

Sheeva stood alone on the hilltop, overlooking the valley. The wind swept through her hair and rain poured on her, soaking her through. She hardly moved, hardly even blinked. He couldn't recall ever seeing her so depressed. His stomach flipped when he imagined what could happen to make her depressed like that now, and he shook his head to clear it. He couldn't let himself think of something like that.

Kadie came running up the hill, crying. Sheeva turned, and knelt down, concern on her face. Kadie barreled into Sheeva's arms, sobbing into Sheeva's already sopping wet hair.

Severus stared at another person that walked up to the two holding a roll of parchment in his hands.

This man wore long red robes with a hood pulled over his head, and a wolf-mask that hid his face. Sheeva looked up at him, scared. The man handed her the scroll, and she took it, shaking. She read it, and her face froze. She cried out, and began to cry, bringing her mouth to her hand and clutching the letter and her daughter close to her.

The man said something, shaking his head slowly, as if sad. Sheeva glared at him, and stood, punching the man in the stomach. Severus burst out in laughter, yelling: _Nice shot, Mom!_ The man keeled over and stumbled backwards and fell, rolling down the hill.

Severus closed his eyes as the scene shifted again, now used to the pulling of his stomach and the blurring of colors.

Sheeva was standing at the foot of a long table, leaning over a map of five islands, place markers on two of them. She looked dressed and ready to kill. Severus began to shiver as he looked into his mother's eyes. They were dark, emanating fury and pain.

She was talking to five others in her main language, and they were nodding, conversing back with her. One was paying almost too much attention, and Severus thought the red-haired man seemed a bit… off. His gut tightened. He felt something was telling him that they shouldn't be trusting this man.

However, he was forced to stay silent, and watched the event pan out.

She was obviously outraged, and seemed to be setting up a battle plan with the way that she presented herself as well as with the way she moved the markers around the map. The others cheered as she slammed her fist on the table, shouting something he didn't understand. She stood tall, confident and smirking.

Severus waited while the scenery shifted again. He found himself wondering how she'd ended up here, hoping that the room would show him eventually. If not, he'd ask her himself—after apologizing greatly, of course.

He jumped as he felt hands on his shoulders, and his body being shaken. He looked around, and shuddered, as there was no one there to grab and shake him. He was in a dungeon, illuminated barely by the moonlight streaming into the window. He stared out the window, mouth agape. There were two moons, one rather large, and the other, roughly one-fourth the larger one's size.

"I'm definitely not on Earth…" He muttered to himself.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw his mother, chained to a wall, beaten black and blue. She was sickeningly thin, and her head hung in exhaustion. He ran over to her, and went to lift her head, but his hands fell straight through her body. His face contorted to one of utter sadness and pain.

So he was forced to watch this memory out, too.

The door burst open, and the light from outside shone in, casting a shadow of a two people. A man and a smaller figure. Severus' gut tied itself in a square knot as he watched the red haired man walk in, pushing Kadie in front of him.

Kadie began to cry, reaching out to her mother sadly as she saw the shape she was in. Kadie placed her small hands on her mother's cheeks, wiping away the tears that Sheeva shed. Sheeva turned her head to kiss Kadie's small palms.

Sheeva looked up at the red haired man, horrified as she saw that he'd drawn her sword. Severus watched horrified, unable to look away, no matter how much he didn't want to witness what he thought was about to happen.

_Run, Kadie_! Severus guessed she'd said. Kadie turned around, and tried to run, but the red haired man was too quick, and brought his sword down upon the little girl, cutting a large gash in Kadie's tiny torso.

Severus began to cry, and backed up against the wall, watching as his poor mother lost her mind, screeching at the top of her lungs at the man, probably throwing every curse word at him that she knew. She was tugging as hard as she could against the chains that held her to the wall, trying desperately to attack the man. He only sneered at her, pulled something out of his pocket and threw it at the ground in front of her.

She gave up trying, having used up all of her energy trying to break free to kill the man, and stared at the pocket watch. Severus let out a sob as he realized who's it was. It had been her husband's. He slid down the wall, tucking his knees into his chest and sobbing into them, not wanting to witness anymore.

"Mom, I'm so sorry! I didn't know…" He muttered aloud to himself. The sound of his voice was a slightly comforting aspect of this whole messed up situation. He felt the scene shift, and he didn't bother looking up, until he heard a demonic laughter.

His eyes widened as a dark, shadowy figure stood in front of his mother. She stared back at it. Severus blinked a few times, shivering as he looked in her eyes once more. What used to be bright, happy, carefree globes of green were now dark, dull, almost lifeless. She nodded readily at the shadow. It turned into a cloud of dust and seeped into each opening of her body; through her mouth, nostrils, ears, and eyes.

She went completely limp for a few seconds before she sat up, smirking evilly. She grabbed the chain holding her right hand to the wall and jerked at it sharply, breaking it from the wall. She grabbed the other and snapped it too. She ripped the chains holding her feet as well, and let out a monstrous howl.

Dark strands of energy floated around her body and she fell to her knees clawing at the ground as two gigantic, leathery skinned wings tore out from her back. She snapped her fingers, and the metal around her wrists and ankles shattered into dust, floating in front of her and shaping into a large sword.

The blade resembled a wolf's head, appearing to have its jaws open, ready to bite. She looked at it, and brandished it, an insane look in her eyes.

"_Okami ni kama…" _He'd heard her say. He couldn't believe his ears. Among her voice was another, dark, and deep. Demonic, even. She let out a scream that resembled a war-cry, and took off. Severus took off after her, following on her heels. She was chopping guards up left and right, sending heads flying and body parts every which way.

She turned corner after corner, running wildly. He wasn't even sure if she knew where she was going, but he followed her anyway, terrified of the scenery around him. He wanted out. She stopped at a dead-end, a gigantic window. She turned back around, and stared her pursuers down. They readied their bows and arrows, taking aim.

Severus looked back at them, and as they fired, he dodged the arrows desperately. He heard the window shatter, and snapped his head back, remembering where he was running. He stopped at the edge, trying to keep his balance. He stared at the ground below. He must have been five stories high.

He turned back, but his foot slipped on the shattered glass and he fell out of the window, screaming. His stomach twisted and turned as he fell.

He expected to hit the hard ground, but let out another startled yelp as he hit something soft and fluffy. He turned over, and looked around. He was in what appeared to be a lab, lying on the floor. He pushed the floor. It felt so light.

_This isn't right!_ He thought, trembling as he sat up.

Sheeva was standing in front of an archway, standing next to the same masked man that had brought her the news of her husband's death, however it may have happened. The masked man turned a dial on a small round container. As it began to tick, Severus recognized it as being a bomb. His stomach dropped.

He watched as the masked man turned a machine on, and the area under the archway turned black, sucking the air in as though it were a drain. Severus nodded as he realized how she'd gotten here. It was with the help of the masked man.

Sheeva faced the archway, and muttered something to the masked man. He set the bomb down and walked out of the room. Sheeva ran through fearlessly. Severus sprang to action, running through the archway into the pitch black…

* * *

Severus jerked awake as he felt hands on his chest, shaking him. He had opened his eyes to his fathers standing over him, terrified looks on their faces.

"Where's Mom?" He asked. Draco looked at Severus pitifully. His face was pale, like he'd seen a ghost, and he had broken into a cold sweat. His t-shirt was drenched in sweat. When Draco didn't answer, he turned to Blaise.

"Where's Mom, damn it? Is she back in the room?" He asked. Blaise slowly nodded.

At this, Severus pushed Draco's hands away and jumped out of the hospital bed, trying to run towards his parent's room. He staggered, limping horribly. His wrist hurt, and he used his t-shirt to create a makeshift sling.

He stopped, leaning against the pillar of the archway to the hospital wing. Draco and Blaise caught him before he fell over, standing him back up.

"Let me go! I gotta tell Mom. Gotta tell her I'm sorry!" He struggled against them. Despite him being in such horrible condition, they had a hard time keeping him back.

"Severus, calm down! We'll bring her here! Relax!" Draco barked. Severus bit Draco's arm and broke out of Blaise's grasp, trying to run. He was still very disoriented, and ended up slamming his shoulder into the wall. He cried out in pain, and slumped to the ground, frustrated.

He had a sudden, crazy idea, but acted on it anyway. He tore his t-shirt off of himself, and focused. If his mother had wings, surely he did too. His shoulders hurt as he felt an intense heat pooling at a spot beneath his shoulder blade. He reached a hand back, and felt a lump growing at the heated area.

He gasped, and grabbed his shirt and stuffed it in his mouth. He took a deep breath, and forced them the rest of the way out, hearing what sounded like a window shattering. Dizzy, he looked behind him. Giant, feathered wings stuck out, and he stared at them, amazed.

Draco and Blaise were gaping at him, frozen where they stood.

"He broke it." Draco muttered. Blaise wiped his eyes, not sure if he was seeing this or not.

"I thought she said they couldn't?" He asked. Draco shook his head.

"No, she said that they _shouldn't_ be able to." Draco corrected him. They snapped out of their daze and walked over to him, helping him to stand. They both draped an arm over their shoulders and wrapped an arm around his middle.

"Alright, we'll take you there, Severus." Draco and Blaise muttered, walking with him slowly.

Severus was drained, barely able to register the fact that he was being helped. His head hurt, throbbing at the same pace that the area around his newly spread wings was throbbing at. A few times, he eyes fluttered closed, and he was sure that he'd blacked out.

After enduring a lot of pain and lightheaded conscious/unconsciousness, they made it to the doorway of his parent's bedroom, and they barreled in. They set him on the couch and collapsed on the floor next to him.

Sheeva and Nayeli looked up, shocked.

"Mom." Severus blurted, then began to laugh crazily. He reach out a hand for her, and she took it gratefully.

"I'm sorry. About what I said." He stated, before beginning to cry.

"I'm so sorry. I saw it, everything." He babbled. Sheeva just sat there, silent, smiling and holding his hand to her mouth, placing kisses on the back of it.

"You have a sword, Okami ni kama. You went berserk, killed the guards that had you captive. And that man, that red haired man. He killed Kadie." Severus continued, his eyes showing the fear that he'd felt witnessing the memories.

"Tazaro, Kadie, Zarkas, and that masked man. I know what happened now, and I'm sorry." He slurred. One wing was leaned against the back of the couch, and the other was jutted out to the side. Blaise moved it to lean against the other one on the back of the couch and started to rub his back beneath the wings.

"Severus, what are you talking about?" Nayeli asked. He let his eyes close, too tired to keep them open.

"It is alright, Severus, dear. Sleep. You are alright now." Sheeva whispered, wiping the sweat off of his forehead and continuing to hold his hand.

Draco caught Nayeli's attention, and called her over to him.

"Yeah, Dad?" She asked. Draco pulled her into a hug and sighed.

"We found him on the floor of the Room of Requirements, on the seventh floor. He must have tripped when he entered or something, but he was out cold when we found him. We took him to the hospital wing, and then he woke up." He started.

"Ok, but why the hell does he have wings?" She asked, demanding to know.

"You have them too. You all do. We just… we sealed them away after you were born. We wanted you kids to have a normal life. Like she said, we were only trying to protect you." He explained. Nayeli was stunned, but then it clicked. Oftentimes, her back would hurt below her shoulders, and no matter how much she tried to stretch it or exercise it, nothing helped.

"I will break the seal. It will hurt less, Nayeli. Breaking the seal with your own power… I suppose it would be similar to being placed under the Cruciatus Curse." Sheeva announced, standing and forming a few seals. She ran her hands along Severus' wings, and they sunk back into his body slowly. Severus groaned from pain in his sleep, tightening his fist and wincing.

Nayeli winced too, for she could only imagine how he felt.

"Come back in the morning, Nayeli, and I will release them for you. It is time that you learned to fly… _without_ a broom." Sheeva said proudly. Nayeli smiled, and her heart swelled with excitement.

She fought a yawn, but ended up losing.

Sheeva chuckled as she noticed it, and hugged Nayeli tightly, patting the back of her head.

"Goodnight, dear." She whispered.

"Goodnight, Mom." Nayeli replied. Sheeva snapped her fingers, and Nayeli reappeared at the entrance to the Gryffindor Commons. She looked around, surprised.

"Wow… that was cool. Pst, hey, wake up!" Nayeli called to the fat lady that guarded the door. The lady opened up an eye, and yawned.

"What are you doing?" She asked, grumpy.

"Trying to get back inside. I've had enough excitement for one night. I need to get some shut-eye." Nayeli growled. The Fat Lady groaned and swung open the door, letting her in.

Not to Nayeli's surprise, Kathryn was still awake, reading a book as usual. She looked up from it and smiled at Nayeli.

"Feel better?" She asked.

"Feel better? I feel like a million galleons." She responded happily, grinning from ear to ear. Kathryn grinned too.

"That's good news. I'm glad. How did your chat with your parents go? What was it about?" She asked. Nayeli bit her lip, choosing her next words carefully.

"Family secret." She decided, smirking. Kathryn sighed and nodded, returning to her book. Curious as she was, she had no right to pry. Nayeli was glad that she didn't try.

She let another yawn slip, and tottered off to bed, crashing down into it without bothering to take off her shoes. Tomorrow would yield an interesting day.

* * *

I think I'm done for a few days; I've got to get back on track of homework.

Don't stray for too long, though! I'll be back on and updating before you know it. :)


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is pretty long, so have fun! Reviews are always welcome! :)

* * *

Nayeli shot awake, gasping. She swallowed and grasped at her throat. The blonde-haired, evil-looking man had cornered her and threw a javelin, and it had driven itself straight through.

She draped her feet over the bed, and shuddered. From the cold or the bizarreness of the dream, she wasn't sure. She put her head in her hands, and sighed heavily. A nice, hot shower was the thing that she needed right now.

She grabbed her towel and tossed it over her shoulder, grabbed a change of clothes, and stepped into the shower, turning on the hot water full blast. It heated rather quickly, a strange occurrence for her. She shrugged it off, figuring that she just must be the only one up this early.

She stood, staring at the shower head. She screamed as she saw it turn into a claw, slithering out of the wall like a snake, and reaching for her. She shut the water off and jumped out, grabbing the towel and wrapping it around her.

Nayeli shook her head. She was losing her mind. Slowly, but surely, she'd have no sanity left by the end of the year.

She stomped her foot, scowling.

_That's it. I'm asking Dad for a sleeping potion. This is fucking dogshit!_

She smirked as she recalled Severus' first use of the term, and then remembered, they had their date today.

Nayeli rolled her eyes, and dressed, dried her hair, and stepped out of the bathroom. If she didn't tease Kathryn about her first date, what kind of best friend was she? Not the proper kind, of course.

She wasn't surprised when she walked into the common room and saw Kathryn curled up in the large lounge chair, holding her diary in one hand and a finished Potions essay in the other. She was almost too big for the chair, but Nayeli figured that Kathryn really didn't care.

Nayeli shuddered as she remembered visiting Kathryn at the orphanage in London. Her hair was twice as frizzled, and she was noticeably thinner than she had been when she'd left. She was honestly wondering why Kathryn still bothered to go back, when she could hide here, in the castle somewhere.

She shook her head, knowing the reason. Kathryn was fighting to be accepted by the kids at the orphanage, even going as far as putting up with sacrificing meals or bed space so that they could be comfortable. It was just who she was.

Still, Nayeli had to try to talk her out of it every Spring.

_What did Dad say it was? The 'Room of Requirement'?_ She made a mental note to ask Draco about it later when she asked about the sleeping potion.

Nayeli pulled open the curtains, shedding the morning's light on the room. Kathryn stirred at the light, and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She stretched, and yawned.

"Good morning." She said to Nayeli, who was now stirring the fire and adding some small logs to bring it back to life. Nayeli smiled.

"Good morning!" She said chirpily.

Kathryn laughed a little.

"Get a good sleep, did you?" She asked. Nayeli nodded.

"Oh yeah, it was great!" She lied. Kathryn smiled. _Good, she needed it._ She thought.

Kathryn's stomach growled fiercely at her, and she giggled in embarrassment. She jumped up and rushed to the dorm room, changed quickly, and took off to the entrance.

"Let's eat! I'm starving!" She yelled, hyper. Nayeli laughed.

"You're a handful today. You are really excited about that date, huh?" She asked. Kathryn silenced and smiled, blushing, avoiding Nayeli's eye. She began to rock side to side, giggling nervously. Her stomach came alive with butterflies.

"Do me a favor? If he kisses you, I don't want to hear about it." Nayeli mentioned, opening the door to the seventh floor hallway. Kathryn turned red, and walked alongside Nayeli.

"I wasn't… I…" She babbled. Nayeli smirked.

"Don't try to lie. I know what you're thinking!" She grinned, a glint in her green eyes.

As they sat down at the table, they loaded food on their plates, happy that they were able to get first grabs. Lily and Albus joined them a little while later. Nayeli turned to Kathryn as Severus walked in, grinning. She waited until he'd sat down at the Slytherin table before muttering under her breath: "Severus and Kathryn, sitting in a tree…" Kathryn dropped her fork and glared at Nayeli.

"Don't you dare." She hissed.

"F-U-C-K-I-N-G…" Lily piped in, laughing hysterically. Kathryn screamed out of embarrassment and clapped her hand to Lily's mouth. This didn't stop her, however, and she said it even louder. Kathryn grabbed her wand and cast a muffliato spell on Lily, then hid her face in her hands.

"God, shut up!" She begged. Nayeli burst out in laughter, smirking.

_What are you doing?_ Severus asked, amused. Nayeli caught his eye.

_Just teasing her. It's my duty as her best friend. Take care of her tonight, and try not to embarrass yourself._ _Or else I'll hex you into insanity._ She responded, finishing off her pumpkin juice.

'_Scuse me? Embarrass myself?_ _I'm too cool to do that. _He said back cockily, arching an eyebrow. Nayeli snorted, and rolled her eyes.

_Just don't show your wings. Mom had us keep them hidden for a reason. If there's people out there looking for us, a kid with wings is going to be pretty obvious. Speaking of, are they awake?_ She asked. Her question was answered when their parents walked in, looking tired as hell. The twins frowned. Last night had been hard on the adults. Jeffrey was none the wiser. Nayeli envied him slightly.

She smiled as Jeffrey ran over to Severus, giving him a bear hug (or trying to; being only four years old, there wasn't much strength in him). Severus smiled and faked being hurt by the squeeze, and moved over so that Jeffrey could sit next to him.

"Nayeli, I would like to talk to you after breakfast. There are some things that I want to explain to you." Sheeva announced. Nayeli nodded and smiled at her mother. Her gut was tightened, and she felt nervous. She wondered if it was going to hurt as much as Sheeva said it would.

_Hey, Severus. Did it hurt? You know… getting your wings?_ She asked him. Severus nodded slowly.

_It hurt like hell. But you heard mom. Breaking the seal with your own power is worse than having someone break the seal for you._ He reminded her. Nayeli smiled and nodded, but then frowned. Her twin wasn't going to be alone in this. She made up her mind then and there that she'd break the seal with her own power. She was just as strong as Severus, she thought.

"I can do it, too." She muttered, unaware that she'd said it out loud.

"Do what?" Kathryn asked. Nayeli blinked and looked at her, and then realized what she'd done.

"There's a challenge that Severus presented me. The… squat challenge. You do five squats on the first day, ten on the second, fifteen on the third, and so on. He's wondering who can do the most." She lied, thankful for her quick-wits. Kathryn snorted.

"You enjoy that, then, you machine." She chided, going back to the remnants of her breakfast. Nayeli remembered that she'd wanted to talk to Kathryn about staying here for the summer, even if she had to hide her.

"Stay here this summer. I don't want you going back to the orphanage." She ordered. Kathryn set her fork down, and frowned.

She shook her head.

"Sorry, but no." She stated simply. Nayeli sighed.

"Every time you leave here, you're healthy, and happy. When you come back, you look like shit, no offense. I can't watch you do this to yourself. Neither can Severus. Stay here. We'll hide you somewhere." Nayeli begged. Kathryn looked at Nayeli sternly.

"I can't do that, Nayeli. If I stayed here, who else would take care of them? The head mistress sure as hell won't. She doesn't give a damn about us! We all hate the woman, but we stay anyway, because, who else would take us in? We're just _orphans_." She hissed, gripping her goblet tightly. Nayeli blinked. She hadn't realized this much. Kathryn had never really talked about the situation, come to think of it.

"But… those other kids, they don't even _like _you!" She blurted. Kathryn shook her head.

"That's just a front for the head mistress. I'm the freak of nature, remember? I'm four-eyes… a dumb, deaf _bitch_." She stated calmly, tears coming to her eyes. Albus choked on his pumpkin juice, some of it coming out of his nose. He cried out in pain as the acidity burned his sinuses. He grabbed his napkin quickly and covered his nose and mouth, blowing into it.

"But, when she's not around, there's an… understanding between myself and those kids. They look up to me. They rely on me. I can't let them down. I could never forgive myself. When I went back there after first year… I cried so hard. They were in horrible shape. That's why I go back during the breaks. To make sure that they're ok." She explained. Lily was wiping away tears from her eyes, and Nayeli was looking down at her hands, humbled.

"Sure, they beat me up when I was younger… but that's nothing compared to the Cruciatus Curse. After that, I can handle anything, I think." She shuddered as she remembered the pain. She bit her lip, and pulled her cloak tighter around her body. The room had gotten chillier all of a sudden.

She stood up, and stepped away from the table, pausing before she left again.

"When I'm done with school here, I'm getting rid of that evil woman, and running the thing myself. I'll make sure that those kids are treated right." She growled, making her goals crystal clear. Nayeli watched her storm away angrily.

_What happened? _Severus asked. Nayeli looked at him, and sighed.

_I upset her a little. I was trying to get her to stay for the winter break and summer break._ She admitted. Severus nodded slowly, understanding that it was a touchy subject. He still didn't know why she refused, and it tore him up inside to see how she looked each time that she came back.

Severus took off after her, concerned.

Sheeva, Draco, and Blaise had been watching them out of the corner of their eye.

"Already the drama begins." Blaise commented, pouring salsa on his scrambled eggs. Sheeva and Draco chuckled.

"Yes… Although, I do not think it is due to Severus and Kathryn's date. Winter break will be here soon." Sheeva pointed out, taking a drink of juice. She smiled at Jeffrey as he hopped down, grabbed his plate off of the table, and walked over to sit down with his sister.

"Oh. I see." Draco muttered. The three of them had their suspicions of what was going on, and they knew that it hurt their kids to watch it. Hell, it hurt them too, as they could relate somewhat. However, Kathryn was a strong-willed woman, and she refused any help whatsoever.

Sheeva pursed her lips, and stood, excusing herself. She walked to Gryffindor table and tapped Nayeli on the shoulder.

"Come see me when you are done with breakfast." Sheeva stated, walking away gracefully.

"Sissy, do you want to play hide and go seek?" Jeffrey asked. Nayeli smiled, and nodded at him. However, when she looked at him again, he'd had a large gash on his head, blood gushing from it. She let out a startled cry, and squeezed her eyes shut.

_That wasn't real. That wasn't real!_ She screamed in her head. She opened her eyes, and to her relief, Jeffrey was just fine, trying to scoop eggs onto his spoon. They fell back onto the plate when he went to eat them, and he growled in frustration. She looked around. Lily and Albus were staring at her, wondering if she was ok. Nayeli muttered a quick: "I'm ok".

She calmed her racing heartbeat once more, and stared at her food. She'd lost her appetite now. She huffed.

"Wait here, Jeffrey. I have to ask Dad something." She ordered, standing quickly and rushing to the table where her parents were sitting. She slammed her hands down on the table, staring at Draco, eyes wide.

"Dad. I need a sleeping potion. Dreamless, Sleeping Draught, I don't care." She barked, breathing heavily. Draco stared at her, his fork frozen in midair.

"Are you alright?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. Nayeli fiercely shook her head.

"I- she began, then looked around. Only Blaise and Draco were paying attention.

"I keep having nightmares. I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in _ages_. I'm starting to hallucinate. I swear to god the bathroom was going to kill me this morning. And just now, it looked like someone had cold-cocked Jeffrey, split his head open. Please, Dad, please. Knock me the fuck out if you have to!" She pleaded. Draco sat back, and nodded. He didn't reprimand her for swearing, as this moment seemed appropriate for it.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and they had dark circles under them. He agreed with her, she really did look like she hadn't slept in a while.

"O…k. What kinds of nightmares?" Draco asked. Nayeli looked down at the table. She couldn't tell them. They'd probably think she was batshit crazy, and send her to St. Mungo's. She blinked back tears.

"They're really bad. I don't want to dream anymore. I pass out, terrified that I'll have a nightmare, and never wake up." She admitted, her voice shaking. Draco set a hand on hers, squeezed it, and nodded.

"Relax. I'll start making one today. It'll take a few days to brew, can you hold out for that long?" He asked. She nodded and took a deep breath, feeling a thousand times better. She smiled at him sadly, and thanked him, standing back up and turning on her heel, walking back to Gryffindor table.

"Shit…" Blaise muttered. Draco let out a small chuckle.

"No kidding." He pushed his plate away, bummed that he'd lost his appetite. He was only halfway through his pancakes. Blaise scratched his stubble—he hadn't shaved that morning, and it was getting on his nerves with the way it rubbed against his collar.

"What are they about, I wonder, and why are they so horrible?" He asked. Draco shook his head.

"I haven't got a clue." He watched as she took out her portfolio and began to draw again. He tapped Draco's arm, and pointed.

"Maybe she's been drawing them. Do you think you can sneak it away from her for a little while?" He asked. Blaise smirked.

"We could just _ask_ her, mate." He pointed out. Draco sighed.

"Where's your sense of fun gone? They sneak around our backs. It's only fair that we do the same!" He smirked. Blaise grinned.

"You make a fine point." He agreed. Clearly Draco hadn't lost his touch for being mischievous.

* * *

Nayeli had convinced Jeffrey to go finish his breakfast with his fathers before heading off to their parent's office. She opened the door, and stepped in. Sheeva smiled at her, and gave her a hug as she set her bag down.

She stared at the floor, her exhaustion evident. Sheeva frowned, and clicked her tongue.

"You need to rest, sweetie." She stated, holding Nayeli's head in her hands. Nayeli forced a smile.

"I'm just fine, Mom." She muttered. Sheeva gave her a look. She didn't believe her one bit, but dismissed it.

"You should probably take off your shirt for this, it will tear it." Sheeva began. Nayeli froze, and looked up at her mother. Would she be mad, if Nayeli refused?

"Mom, I…" She began, hesitating. Sheeva looked at her expectantly.

"Yes?"

Nayeli couldn't back down now.

"Severus, he broke it with his own power… It doesn't seem fair, if you do it for me." Nayeli stated. She cringed as she saw the look on her mother's face. Sheeva was slightly shocked, but deep down, she had somewhat expected this.

"Ok." She said, nodding. Nayeli shot her head back to look at Sheeva.

"What?" She blurted, unsure of what she'd heard. Sheeva chuckled. Human reactions were hilarious sometimes.

"If you want to break it, by all means, go ahead. You have always had the power to. Both of you." She admitted. Nayeli smiled a little, and stripped herself of her shirt, covering her chest.

"What do I do?" She asked.

"Concentrate. Imagine that you are pushing a pair of wings out of your back, just beneath your shoulders. It should come a little more naturally to you than it must have been for Severus."

Nayeli did as her mother told her, closing her eyes. She felt her arms litter themselves with goose bumps as the air around her seemed to chill. She felt ice cold at her back, just beneath her shoulder blades, like her mother had said. She smiled.

She gathered a bit of energy and channeled it to the cold spots on her back, and a few seconds later, she felt a searing, blinding pain shoot from her back.

She cried out in pain, and shot open her eyes. The fire in the fire pit that had been a small comforting fire was now a roaring fire, spreading warmth all over the room. The candles set about lit on fire, and the tea in their teacups froze to popsicles.

Nayeli found her breath, and fell to her hands and knees, trembling. She looked at her shadow cast upon the wall from the fire, and began to laugh. She'd done it.

She looked behind her, and grinned. Two giant feathered wings stuck up in the air. She sat back on her heels, and calmed herself down. The fire in the fireplace dwindled down, and the tea began to melt.

Sheeva handed her a shirt, teaching her to fold her wings in so that she could poke them through the fabric of the shirt.

"I have to admit, you scared me with that fire." Sheeva stated, grinning at her daughter. Nayeli felt dizzy, but pretty outstanding.

The door opened again, and the blond-haired man from her most recent nightmares stepped in. Nayeli shrieked, and stood between her mother and the stranger, putting up her fists.

"Don't you dare take another step!" She barked. Draco froze, highly confused. Sheeva looked around Nayeli at Draco, a confused look on her face as well.

"Nayeli, what are you doing?" Sheeva asked. Nayeli growled.

"This person, whoever the fuck he is, I think he's going to try to hurt you, mother." Nayeli hissed. Draco's eyes went wide, and he backed into the door.

"Nayeli, what are you talking about?" Draco asked, fearing for his life. Nayeli glared at him.

"Don't pretend! I know what you're up to!" She barked, grabbing a knife off of the table, brandishing it.

"Nayeli, stop! That is your father!" Sheeva shrieked, shaking Nayeli's shoulder. Nayeli blinked, and turned her head back to look at her mother.

"What?" She asked. She blinked, and shook her head, and then looked back at the blonde haired man. She gasped and her eyes went wide as she saw Draco, terrified, frozen against the door, wand in his hand, pointed at her.

She looked at the knife in her hand and threw it across the room, jumping and shaking her arms and legs like she had the heebie-jeebies.

"Dad, I'm sorry! I thought that you were someone else!" She apologized. Draco shook his head, and reached out to her and hugged her tightly. He looked at Blaise and Sheeva.

"Nayeli, who did you think I was?" Draco asked. Nayeli shook her head, sobbing into his shoulder.

"I don't know! I keep seeing this bastard in my nightmares!"

"Did you draw a picture of him?" Blaise asked, picking up one of the teacups. He was shocked to find that it was ice cold. He reached into the drawer and pulled out a vial of Dreamless Sleep. They always kept some handy for when their nightmares got the best of them.

Nayeli looked at her bag, and sighed. Yes, she had. She had a plethora of drawings of this creep. She staggered to her bag and took out her portfolio, and handed it to her mother.

"These guys don't speak English. They have wings like we do, Mom." She stated, watching as her mother flipped through the pictures. Sheeva whimpered as she flipped through them, shivering in fear.

Many of them were of her, a few of them depicted her dead and lifeless at the hands of what appeared to be her late husband. She turned to the next. Their entire family, dead. She flipped through feverishly, trembling visibly now, stopping at the one that she'd been working on.

Tazaro was standing in front of an army, dressed in his war uniform, seeming to rally the troops before him. Sheeva hardly registered that she dropped the folder, and the pictures spilled out on the floor. Draco and Blaise looked at them, and Blaise immediately covered Jeffrey's eyes, ushering him to his bedroom.

"Wait here, Jeffrey." He ordered, shutting the door and casting a muffliato spell on the room again. Draco bent down and picked one up that depicted him hanging in a hangman's noose at his wrists, hundreds of arrows stuck in his body. He dropped it, and turned around sharply.

Sheeva fell to her knees, still mortified.

"Who are they?" Nayeli asked, worried. Their reactions were terrifying her, but then again, who wouldn't be, upon seeing twenty or so pictures of them and their family mauled beyond recognition.

"How do you know this man?" Sheeva asked, her voice in a barely audible whisper. Nayeli looked at the picture Sheeva was showing her.

"He's the one that does this to us. I've been having nightmares of him for the past year, now…" She admitted, wiping away a tear that threatened to fall. As she looked in her mother's face, she couldn't recall ever having seen it so pale, so terrified. She also looked like she were going to puke.

Sheeva leaned back against the wall, bringing her knees in to her chest, a faraway look on her eyes. Nayeli arched an eyebrow. Blaise blocked her view, bringing her back to reality as he placed a hot cup of tea in her hands.

"Here. You look like you could use some." He stated. Nayeli looked down at it, and then back at him, guessing that he'd spiked it with a sleeping potion. She handed it back to him.

"Not yet. I want to make sure that she'll be alright."

He pushed it back in her hand, giving her a stern look.

"Nayeli Marie Zabini, you _will_ drink this. Right now. You almost killed Draco. You need to sleep, and immediately." He started fiercely, and then softened, his eyes pleading with her to drink it. Nayeli sighed and nodded, downing the cup. She made a face. It was slightly bitter with the addition of whatever he'd put in it.

"Thank Merlin it's Saturday… would hate to miss classes." She muttered almost sarcastically. Blaise chuckled and helped her to the couch, lying her down in it and covering her with a blanket.

Neither one of them moved, staring off into the distance. Occasionally Blaise and Draco would look at each other, and then at Sheeva, waiting for her input. She was still holding her knees. Blaise stared at the drawings on the floor, and cringed as he noticed one with Draco, Blaise, and Sheeva chained to the wall with Severus', Nayeli's, and Jeffrey's corpses on the floor, drenched in blood.

He forced himself to move, and picked up the pictures, looking at each one briefly. They really were dark, enough to make anyone shiver or tremble at the sight of them. He could only begin to imagine how she'd been dealing with it the last year without having a mental breakdown.

He stuffed them neatly back into the folder, and stood. Sheeva was still holding the one she'd grabbed. Blaise reached out his hand for it.

"We should put these away, Sheeva." He stated. Sheeva blinked, and looked up at him. She looked almost exactly the way she did shortly after their breakout from Malfoy Manor almost 20 years ago. It unnerved Draco and Blaise quite a bit.

She looked back at the picture, and then handed it to him without a word. Blaise took it, and looked at it.

"Is this an army?" He asked, looking at Sheeva. She gave something between a nod "yes" and a shake "no". Blaise stuffed the picture in the folder, shrunk it, and hid it in a drawer.

Draco walked over to her and got to his knees, taking her hands in his. She looked back at him.

"Who is he?" He asked. Sheeva's eyes changed to ones of pain, and she avoided his gaze, downcast.

"Tazaro." She answered. Blaise looked up from a trinket he'd been staring at on the dresser, and turned his head back in their direction.

"Isn't he… dead, though?" He asked. Sheeva took a deep breath.

"He… should be. Even Lady Guyana told me he was dead. Zarkas admitted to being the one who killed him." She whispered. She was lost in her thoughts now.

"Is that what the guy contacted you about?" Draco asked. Sheeva slowly nodded.

"I have always been able to trust Kagure. But, as much as I trust him, I thought it was an attempt to lure me back, possibly into a trap. He had told me the same as those pictures show. That Tazaro is alive, and destroying Kadessa and Mayfil in search of me. I could not believe it." She muttered, the shame and embarrassment shining on her face. Blaise squatted down next to Draco and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't blame you for having your doubts. But now the big question is: what are we going to do?" He asked. Sheeva closed her eyes, thinking heavily.

_Good question. What can we do?_

She frowned.

"_We" cannot do anything. I have to take care of this. I do not know how this started, but I have to fix it._

She snapped her eyes open, and broke away from their hold, and stood slowly, staring at the back wall. She formed a seal with her hands, and a portion of the wall disappeared, crumbling into dust, revealing _Okami ni kama _and _Shinigami_, as well as a customized body armor. She traced her fingers along the blades, and tested the sharpness with her thumb. They were still sharper than the devil himself.

Draco and Blaise stood, alarmed.

"Wait, you're not going to leave us, are you?" They asked. Sheeva didn't answer, and lifted _Shinigami_ off of the hooks imbedded in the wall, and swung the blade about, brandishing her weapon. It'd been a long time, almost fourteen years now, but she still felt like she remembered everything.

She sighed heavily and set it back, taking a few steps back and staring at the wall.

_Yes. I have to do this. I must. For my family._

Draco pulled her into a hug from behind, and Blaise walked around to her front to hug the both of them. She was brought out of her thoughts, and graciously accepted their embrace, placing a kiss on Blaise's stubble. She felt the corners of her mouth lift into a smile as it tickled.

"I am going to wait for Severus to get home, and then explain things to him. I leave tomorrow. The sooner I can take care of this, the better." She told them.

They sighed, and hugged her tighter, trying to hold back their tears.

"What if you can't come back?" Draco asked, his voice beginning to crack. He was terrified that he would lose her, and he had no doubt that Blaise was, too.

"I let these people hurt my family once. Never will I let it happen again. That is a risk that I am willing to take." She said calmly. It amazed them still how she was able to lock her emotions down and think reasonably, as if it were as easy as counting.

Jeffrey peeked his head out of the doorway, and when he saw his parents hugging, he walked up to them and tugged at Blaise's pantleg.

"Are you all ok?" He asked. Blaise broke away, and bent down, picked him up, and balanced him on his shoulder, and smiled. Sheeva smiled too, taking Jeffrey from her and hugging him tightly to her.

"Mommy has some work to do, Jeffrey. You be a very good boy, and mind your fathers, ok?" She asked. As she looked over his back, she noticed that her weapons were still showing. She snapped her fingers and replaced the wall. She also saw Nayeli's wings leaned against the couch, and walked over to her, waving her hand over them. With a dark purple light, they sunk into her back.

"Is sissy ok?" He asked, still a little frightened. Sheeva nodded.

"She is just a little sick today. While I am gone, I want you to take care of her, ok?" She asked, setting him down on the couch next to Nayeli and holding his small hands in hers. She had tears in her eyes, and one fell down her cheek. Jeffrey reached up and wiped it off.

"Why are you crying, Mommy?" He asked.

Sheeva smiled at him sadly.

"I am scared, Jeffrey." She admitted. Jeffrey stared back at her, and then smiled.

"Don't be scared! You can do it!" He encouraged her. He didn't understand the full extent, and he probably never would until he grew up a little more.

Sheeva kissed him on the forehead and stood, grabbing her shawl and walking towards the door.

"I need to do a few things. I will be back when I am done." She announced. She rested her hand on the doorknob, waiting for a response.

Draco gave her a hug and a light peck on the lips, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. Blaise moved in and kissed her too, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Ok." They muttered, opening the door for her. She smiled, and stepped outside, hurrying to Hermione's office, hoping to catch her there.

* * *

If only sleeping potions were real. That'd be great right now.

Well, please review! Please? I'm missing them so. They really are an ego booster.


	7. Chapter 7

Wow. Long chapter. Now that this is done, I'm off to sleep! :D

Review, please! I miss the input!

* * *

Severus slinked through the halls, checking to make sure that he kept his distance from Kathryn. He didn't want to get too close in case she turned around and saw him trailing her. That would have been incredibly awkward.

_So is sneaking around after the girl you're taking out on a date later._ He reprimanded himself. He pushed the matter aside as he watched her run into the library. He smiled. Nayeli had told him that the library was her second bedroom, as she'd oftentimes fall asleep in it.

He rushed in and slipped behind a bookshelf. She was too concentrated on where she was going that she didn't notice him accidentally knocking a book off of the shelf. He caught it swiftly and placed it back, and he swear he heard it mutter a "thank you".

He watched as she slowly opened a large, wooden door, looked around to check if anyone else had noticed, and slipped inside. He heard the door click as she locked it behind her. Really curious now, he walked up to it and leaned his ear against it.

Kathryn sat down cross-legged in front of a mirror, mystified. It hadn't shown itself up until recently, and she'd visited it almost every day since she discovered it. As she gazed into it, she thought of her father. As she focused, the magical properties of the mirror responded, bringing up a reflection of her father.

She opened her eyes, and smiled.

"Hi, Dad." She said.

He smiled back at her. Even though he couldn't speak back to her, he seemed to be able to hear her. This was a little more comforting than writing in her diary, because this way, she could get her thoughts out without risking somebody reading them.

"It's good to see you again, Dad, even though I saw you yesterday. I still don't understand how this thing works, but in the meantime, I'll keep using it." She gabbed. She sighed, and folded her hands in her lap.

"My friend Nayeli wants me to stay for winter break. I would love to, as I'll be close to my friends and Severus, but I have a duty to those at the orphanage. I think that you would agree with me, Dad. Madam Maddess would destroy those poor kids, given the chance." She shuddered, tightening her cloak around herself. She looked back at the mirror.

Her Dad stared down at her. He wore glasses and had a moustache, and was shaved bald. He had started going bald early. He was dressed in a BDU (Battle Dress Uniform), the bottoms of his pants tucked into his black leather boots, neatly cared for and polished. He held his cap in his hand. Kathryn smiled when he sat down too.

"I have a date with Severus tonight. I'm excited, and nervous." She continued. Her dad grinned at her, signing "Good luck. I love you."

Severus backed away from the door, smiling to himself. He looked back at the door, and then sighed, and walked away. This moment was something she'd gone out of her way to ensure privacy for. He had no right to infringe upon it.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked out of the library, his head held high, grinning to himself.

He bumped into his mother just outside the door, and both of them jumped. Sheeva grabbed onto his arms and he grabbed onto her shoulders to steady themselves.

"Hi, Mom." He smiled, pulling her into a hug.

"How are you?" He asked. Sheeva smiled, rarely seeing her son so openly happy like this.

"I am… well, I have something to do." She muttered, looking away. Severus frowned, getting the gut feeling that she wasn't telling him something. Considering the bomb that his parents had dropped on him last night, he realized that these gut feelings were usually true.

"Is it about what happened last night? I didn't destroy anything, I swear!" He joked. Sheeva chuckled, and shook her head, the smile still coming off of her face. Severus leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

"I always wondered why you looked so young, Mom. Nayeli and I thought maybe it was an anti-aging potion." He stated. Sheeva smiled again, nodding. They'd tried to tell her one year that she didn't need those "silly potions".

"Does your back still hurt?" She asked. Severus shook his head.

"Not too bad. If I move wrong, it does, but it's nothing, really."

"Your sister did not want me to release the seal. She broke it herself. She's resting in our office, now." Sheeva stated, knowing that Severus would be proud. Severus grinned.

"Yup. Sounds like her. That's my batshit crazy sister."

Sheeva laughed, and then frowned as the memory came back to her. She stared at the ground. She sniffled, and pulled him into a hug.

"You kids have grown up so much. I am so proud." She complimented, able to hide her face from him and give a false reason as to why she was so down. Severus bought it, to her relief.

"Thanks, Mom. Do you mind… if I tell Kathryn?" He asked. She shook her head and smiled.

"Do as you like. What color of dress is she wearing?" She asked. Severus closed his mouth, thinking. He opened it, and closed it again, blushing as he imagined her in a dress.

"I… uh… hrm…" He shook his head. Sheeva laughed, amused with her son's reactions.

"You should probably just go with black, then. Draco might have some that you can borrow." She set her hand on the handle of the door.

"Stop by after you get back, ok? I want… want to hear all about it." She broke away, and walked into the library without another word. Severus shook his head and smiled. She was overemotional about their fight, he figured.

He checked the time with a tempus charm. It was barely past 10. He made his way slowly to the dungeons, planning to get a sliver of homework done, knowing that Professor Granger wouldn't stand for him turning an assignment late, even if he was Draco, Sheeva, and Blaise's son…

* * *

Lily and Kathryn were rummaging through Lily's closet, picking out various pairs of pants, shirts, and even a bra or two to match the shirts. Thankfully, they were about the same size, Kathryn having slightly smaller breasts than Lily.

Lily hummed and smiled to herself as she held up a red, silky, low-cut shirt that cut off just between Kathryn's bosom.

"You know, Lily, I- She stopped to throw on a green shirt that she'd handed her. She found that she liked it. It wasn't too low, and it hugged her hips. She took it off and set it gently on her bed. Lily paused, pulling her head out of her closet.

"I'm listening." She stated, poking her head back into the closet. Kathryn stared at the closet in wonder.

"What are you searching for, Narnia?" She joked. Lily poked her head back out, confused.

"What's that?" She asked. Kathryn laughed, and shook the matter aside.

"I was actually wondering if you had any dresses?" She asked, fidgeting with her fingers and biting her lip, blushing a little. Lily crawled out of her closet, and grinned.

"That is a _great_ idea! Yeah, give me a second!" She said, rummaging through chests. She grew aggravated and grabbed her wand, cleared her throat, and commanded loudly: _Accio Dresses! _A load of dresses flew out of her closet and knocked the small girl to the ground, and she disappeared in the heap.

Kathryn laughed, and helped to dig Lily out of the mound. Nayeli walked in at that second, rubbing her eyes. They widened as they saw the condition of the room. Clothes were strewn every which way.

"Spring cleaning?" She joked, picking up a lacy bra off of her bedpost. Lily snatched it out of her hands, laughing as she threw it back in her closet.

"Good thing you put that back, 'cuz she's not wearing that around my _brother_." Nayeli smirked.

Kathryn picked up an emerald colored dress, and held it against her body, looking at herself in the mirror. She slipped it on, and smoothed it out. It wasn't too low cut, and it was long enough to cover just below her knees. She smiled and couldn't help but twirl, and then laughed at her girly attitude.

Nayeli grinned.

"That's it. That's perfect!" She stated, hugging Kathryn. Kathryn hugged her back.

"Thanks." She muttered. She looked back at herself in the mirror.

"Sit down! I want to do your hair!" Nayeli piped in, pushing a chair behind Kathryn's legs, causing them to buckle. Kathryn turned her head.

"Is that really necessary? I was thinking about just leaving it down…" She muttered, obviously worried about something. She crossed her legs and stared at her hair. Not only was it bushy, it was a pain in the neck to manage.

"Have you seen _my_ hair? I'm the master at fixing hair! Otherwise, I'd end up with an afro…" She muttered, grabbing a water bottle and wetting Kathryn's hair. Kathryn quickly reached up and took her hearing aids out before Nayeli could get them wet.

Lily draped a towel around Kathryn's shoulders.

"Why don't you close your eyes? It'll be a nice surprise." She suggested. Kathryn looked at her.

"…Ok." She did so, and began to think about the upcoming evening. What she'd say. What they'd do. She mentally smacked herself, as she had not thought that far ahead. _Geeze, for as smart as you are…_

She winced a little when Nayeli tugged at her hair, running a brush through it.

"Comb." She heard Nayeli mutter. Lily jumped to action, handing her a black comb.

"Hairpin." Nayeli ordered. Lily searched for one that matched her dress. She grabbed a floral decorated hair pin, and handed it to her. Nayeli pinned it in Kathryn's hair and smiled at her handiwork. She then smirked.

"Scissors." She joked. Kathryn snapped open her eyes and turned around, slightly frightened.

"Scissors?" She exclaimed. Nayeli and Lily laughed.

"Just kidding!" Nayeli said cheerfully.

"Take a look, Kathryn, you're done." Lily pointed out. Kathryn looked back at herself, and her mouth dropped open. Who was this, staring back at her? Herself, of course, but the transformation shocked her. Her long, curly brown hair cascaded down her back, and when she placed her hearing aids back into her ears, they were barely visible. She smiled, relieved, as that was one of her insecurities.

"You hid my hearing aids." She stated. Nayeli smirked.

"You know… Severus really likes you. I think he'll be too stunned by how pretty you look that he won't even notice those things. Truth is, I don't think he really cares…. He learned sign language for you, you know?" She admitted. As irkful as it was that she was going on a date with her brother, she couldn't help but be happy for the both of them, as well as slightly jealous.

Kathryn hugged the both of them, tears coming to her eyes.

"Thank you, both of you. This really means a lot to me." She whispered, trying to keep her cool.

She glanced at the clock, and she gasped.

"Crap, I've got to get going!" She exclaimed, stepping into the pair of slip-on shoes that she also happened to be borrowing. Lily stopped her before she left, throwing a white fish-net shawl with a floral design in the middle of it over her shoulders.

"That should help you keep warm." She stated, before pushing her out of the door. She hurried down the steps, leaping off of the fifth one as it tried to trap her on it by moving at the last minute. She laughed at it as she continued. It grumbled at her.

She paused at the top step of the first staircase, catching her breath and regaining her composure.

Severus was talking with one of his friends when suddenly, his friend smacked his arm and pointed, wide eyed at the girl walking gracefully down the steps. Both boy's mouths dropped open. Gary closed his mouth and nudged Severus, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Close your mouth, mate, you'll catch flies."

Severus squinted his eyes at Gary, and then turned his attention back to Kathryn. She looked up at him, and blushed as he held out his hand for her to take it.

"Too much?" She asked, motioning towards her dress. Severus shook his head.

"No, you look…" He racked his brain for something to compare her too, because "beautiful" wasn't enough. "I… Wow." The amazement shone on his face like a lighthouse beacon.

"Well… It's all thanks to this dress, really…" She muttered, blushing. Severus shook his head again.

"That's not true. You look pretty every day." He blurted. She smiled at him, and turned beet red.

_Get going, Severus, you'll miss your ride there, you dorkfish._ Nayeli barked at him. He looked up, and smiled at his sister. She and Lily were waving at them.

She looped her arm around his as he held it out for her, and together they walked out the door. Nayeli and Lily followed at a distance. Draco, Blaise, and Sheeva walked out from their corner of the hall, and stood next to them.

"Did you see his face?" Gary started up, laughing.

"Did you see yours?" Lily retorted, giggling. He laughed harder.

"Who knew the bookworm could clean up like that?" He stated. They all grinned.

Blaise let out a sniffle, and then immediately turned about, wiping at his eyes. Draco arched an eyebrow.

"Are you _crying_, Blaise?" He asked. Blaise sniffled again and said "no", his sinuses plugged as he fought to keep from crying.

"I'm just… Sweating from my eyeballs. Got a problem with that?" Blaise asked, smirking as he turned back around. Draco laughed.

"I'm just glad it's not me, for once."

Sheeva took their hands and squeezed them tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face. Nayeli felt a moment of weakness, and hugged her mother.

Lily and Gary stared at them for a moment, smirking.

"Ah, family moments." Lily teased. Gary chuckled, and turned to her.

"Lily Potter, right? I'm Gary. Er, Gary Nothstine." He introduced himself, holding his hand out for her to shake it. She smiled, and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you… Formally, this time."

* * *

Severus and Kathryn sat across from each other in the carriage, trying to decide what on earth to say, exactly.

"You've been hiding in the library a lot recently. Moving in?" He joked. Kathryn laughed, and shook her head.

"No… I found something. I… I'll show you when we get back." She smiled, crossing her legs. Her foot bumped his leg, and he felt a surge of a tingling sensation shoot through his body. He jumped, and blushed.

"A secret, huh?" He asked. She nodded.

"Something like that. I still haven't figured out how this thing works." She admitted, smiling.

"Speaking of secrets, Nayeli mentioned that you have a family secret. Care to share?" She asked. Severus smiled, and his stomach turned into butterflies.

"Well… now's not the best time to explain it, but it'd be better if I showed you, and there's not enough room in this for me to do so." He whispered, low so that the carriage driver couldn't hear.

"You seemed upset this morning." He mentioned, abruptly changing the subject. She let out a "hmm" of remembrance.

She folded her hands over themselves, and set them in her lap.

"Nayeli wants me to stay over the break." She admitted. Severus nodded.

"That would be really great." Severus commented. Kathryn smiled, and then shook her head.

"I can't. I really have to go back over the breaks." She stated. Severus took her hands.

"Then, I'll come visit you!" He said excitedly. She looked at him, and smiled widely. Due to the dimness, he didn't catch the hint of fear and worry in her eye.

"That… would be wonderful." She said as calmly as she could. Severus drifted into a daze as he traced the backs of her hands with his thumbs. The knuckles were rough, slightly calloused and there were a few small scars on the backs of them.

He looked down, staring at them a little closer.

"Wow, I never noticed these. What are they from?" He asked. She looked down at her hands.

"My father told me that they had to put IVs into my hands to help keep me alive after I was born." She admitted. Severus looked up.

"What?" He asked incredulously. She nodded.

"I was born three and a half-months prematurely, which is why I wear hearing aids. I had a fourth-degree hemorrhage on the left side of my brain, and a second-degree on the right. At a week, they did a heart surgery to close a valve in my heart that had failed to close." She explained. Severus was floored.

"That's… incredible! Sorry, but shouldn't you be… _dead_?" He whispered. She chuckled, and slowly nodded.

"Yes, that's right. If not dead, comatose." She admitted, eyes downcast. She brightened, as she thought of something.

"But, I'm here now, and I'm just fine, if not better!" She admitted. Severus smiled, and kissed the back of her hand.

"I'm glad." He muttered, grinning sheepishly. She blushed. The carriage stopped, and the driver opened the door for them. Severus got out first, holding out his hand for her to take, giving her a confident grin.

"I was thinking we could go dancing." He started. Really, it had been his father's idea. Kathryn smiled nervously, looking around at the many shops.

"That sounds awesome! What kind? Swing?" She asked, eager. Severus blinked, and cracked a crooked smile.

"I uh… don't know. To be honest, I've never really danced before."

She laughed at the look on his face.

"I used to swing dance with my father. We used to listen to a lot of jazz, particularly George Gershwin." She remembered. Her grip on his arm tightened as she fought from crying. He led them to _The Marc_, where he'd made a reservation. The clerk at the desk smiled at them, greeting them cheerfully.

"Names?" She asked, glancing at her logbook.

"Malfoy, Severus." He responded. She flipped through, and smiled as she found the name.

"Welcome to _The Marc_. If you'd follow me, please…" She said, leading them through the restaurant. They looked around. It was packed, but despite how busy the room was, the noise was hushed.

"Can I start you with a drink?" She asked. Severus caught glances with Kathryn, and arched his eyebrow.

She smiled and asked for a glass of Moscato. Severus was slightly shocked, as he hadn't expected her to ask for wine, much less anything with alcohol in it. He smiled to himself. She was full of surprises.

"I'd like the same, please." He stated. Kathryn blushed and looked at her hands, smiling a little. The piano echoed sweetly in their ears. "Reflection" by Fox Amoore. The pianist was doing a wonderful job, Kathryn decided.

"If I could give anything to dance with my father again, I would." She muttered, continuing their conversation.

"Be careful what you wish for. Who's George Gershwin?" He asked. She looked up at him, and chuckled.

"A muggle musician. It's funny, I made another reference to a muggle thing today, and Lily didn't get it. We… really do come from different worlds, don't we?" She asked.

Severus sat back, sighing as he realized that, yes, they really did. He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

"What kind of music does he write?"

Kathryn looked at him and smiled.

"Jazz. Despite being pretty deaf, I really love music…" She chuckled.

"I'll show you sometime." She promised when he gave her a confused look. He smiled, and nodded.

"My mother likes a wide range of music. So does Blaise."

She gave him a look, and smirked.

"What's it like, growing up with two fathers?" She asked. She'd always been curious, but had never asked, for fear of offending Nayeli or Severus. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when a waiter placed their glasses on the table, smiling at them. He set two menus on the table, and asked if they'd like anything else. He smirked, and told them to signal him when they'd decided—it seemed that they had a lot to talk about.

"It's… interesting to say the least. Although, I'm used to it, so it must seem really strange to other people. I don't really care though. I love my family, even if we are bizarre." He admitted, smiling as he remembered how his mother had fussed over his outfit this evening. He looked away, scanning the crowd that they were sitting amongst. Kathryn took this moment to look him over in the better lighting.

He had on a black suit with no tie, the top two buttons open to allow air to go through. She grinned; he really did look amazing with the way he'd dressed for the occasion. His dark skin had a nice sheen on it, and she gazed at his eyes again. Her heart did a flip in her chest.

"You look outstanding tonight, Severus." She complimented. He looked back at her and smirked, and she blushed again. He picked up his glass and raised it. She picked hers up too, and chuckled.

"Here's to us?" He asked. She nodded.

"To us and kamikaze paper birds." She laughed. He laughed too, and they clinked their glasses together, taking a drink.

"I really didn't mean for that bird to dive into your juice. It was supposed to perch itself on your head." He admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose, embarrassed. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing is perfect, you know. Things aren't always like the movies." She muttered. Severus looked up at her.

"Movies?" He asked. She blinked and stared at him, amazed.

"Don't tell me, you've never seen a movie?" She asked. He gave her a look as though saying: _really, Kathryn… really?_

"They're like plays, only, on a TV." She explained. Severus blinked again, and shook his head, giving her an apologetic look. She sighed.

"Never mind." She said with a wave of her hand. He watched her over the top of his glass as he took another drink of his wine. He let it sit on his tongue. It was sweet, light, and didn't dry out his mouth like the red wines that his mother would drink on occasion.

He swallowed it, and clicked his tongue.

"You know, you can always teach me." He stated, mentally chiding himself as he thought he'd sounded a little bit too harsh. She smirked.

"It'd be better if I just showed you. Some things are hard to describe." She replied. He remained silent for a few minutes while he listened to the current song that the pianist was playing. It had a peppy, jazzy tune to it, and he smirked.

"Would you teach me how to dance?" He asked. She looked up at him, shocked and pleased. She smiled.

"Anytime, Severus." She agreed. He arched an eyebrow.

"Now, then?" He asked, standing and offering her his hand. The smile disappeared, and she looked around.

"Here?" She asked. He laughed at her reaction.

"Why not?"

She bit her lip, and took his hand. She tried to ignore some of the other customers as they stopped to look up on the scene. Severus pulled her close to him, smirking. She giggled, and rested her hand on his shoulder as they began to dance. To her surprise, Severus was able to keep with her.

"I thought that you said that you'd never danced before." She whispered. He leaned down to her ear.

"Mom gave me a crash course before we left." He whispered, twirling her around. She smiled and laughed, imagining a clumsy Severus trying to dance with his mother, who was just a little shorter than she was.

"Huh, she did a good job." She complimented. He laughed and they moved apart, and she turned, spinning herself into him. He lightly placed a hand on her back and they moved apart again. She spun underneath his arm, and then back into his embrace, blushing madly as they realized that a few of the other patrons had joined them on the floor.

An elderly couple smiled at them, and they began to dance too.

"Well… I wasn't expecting this." Severus blurted. His parents always tried to instill in him to think before he acted. He always ignored them.

"This is still very sweet, Severus." She said, blushing. He smiled at her and moved again, trying to make sure that everyone had enough room. The pianist, excited, played song after song, varying from smooth classics to more spunky tunes, most of which Kathryn didn't recognize.

They spent most of their night dancing, pausing once to eat, and then continuing immediately after. She taught him how to swing dance, as she promised, and after four clumsy attempts, he had it down—he thought.

When they attempted to do a Barrel Roll, Kathryn and Severus bumped shoulders, and Kathryn began to fall. He quickly caught her wrist and waist and pulled her back up, standing straight up. They froze.

Their faces were inches away from each other, and their noses were touching. Hazel-colored eyes and emerald green locked. Severus blinked, and placed his hand gently on her cheek. To his relief, she leaned in to his touch. They closed their eyes and lightly brushed their lips together.

Kathryn's body burst in a wave of tingles, and she smiled, resting both of her hands on his shoulders and moving closer to him. Severus opened his eyes slowly, as they parted, and then closed them again, kissing her a little more fully, still barely able to believe what he was doing.

They were lost, as neither one noticed that people were clapping for them. The elderly couple beamed at them, as they could tell; it would be a long-lasting relationship that this young couple would have.

* * *

Kathryn and Severus cuddled against one another in the carriage, their fingers intertwined. Severus had his arm wrapped around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I wasn't expecting them to applaud like that…" He muttered. She chuckled.

"Neither was I… Thank you, Severus, for this… for all of it." She squeezed his hand, trying not to cry.

She sniffled, and he looked down at her, alarmed.

"You ok? I didn't upset you, did I?" He asked. She sat up and shook her head.

"Not at all! I had a wonderful time! I… I felt so special. I haven't felt like this since… Since before my Dad got sent to Korea." She whispered sadly. He smiled, and then frowned, placing a hand on her cheek, stroking it with the pad of his thumb.

"I wish that had never happened to you… I would have liked to meet him." He admitted, the corners of his lips curling in a small smile. She smiled back at him.

"Maybe, you can." She stated. Severus looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"When we get back, there's something that I want you to see. I found it in one of the back rooms of the library." She admitted. Severus nodded, and as she sat in his lap, he grinned and held her against him.

"My mother wants me to stop by, but I don't think she'll mind. It's only…" He cast a tempus charm, and the time floated in front of him before disappearing in a puff of red smoke. "…ten."

Kathryn yawned, and rested her head down against his chest, closing her eyes. Normally she wouldn't be tired at this time, but she supposed that dancing for three hours, as well as being in Severus' embrace gave her a bountiful dose of melatonin. She giggled sleepily at this thought.

"What's so funny?" He asked. She chuckled.

"Normally, I don't get to sleep until well after three. My natural melatonin must have kicked into overdrive from all that dancing." She explained. He blinked.

"Melatonin?"

She nodded, and yawned.

"It's what makes you sleepy…" She whispered, her eyes lulling closed. He smiled, kissed her on the forehead, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes to get a little rest himself…

* * *

This was a cute chapter... my dream date, somewhat... :3

I hope that you all enjoyed it!


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter and the next are long. However, i think that they are very well written. I'm proud of myself! :D

Enjoy!

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The carriage stopped, and Severus and Kathryn woke with a start, looking around. They remembered where they were, and sat up. Kathryn rubbed her eyes.

Curious to know how long she'd been asleep, she checked the time. It was nearing 11. She smiled. She'd gotten at least an hour of sleep.

Severus hopped out of the carriage, helping her to step out of it. Hand in hand they walked back to the front door, opening it slowly, trying not to let it creak. They skipped across the first floor, and she took his hand, rushing to the library. They opened this door carefully as well, and shut it slowly behind them.

They breathed out a sigh of relief, and she took his hand again, leading him to the back of the library. Their stomachs dropped as the handle of the library door clicked, signaling that someone was about to enter. They ran for the back door that Severus had seen her slip through this morning.

She grabbed his wand out of his pocket, and pointed it at the door.

"Colloportus!" She hissed. They heard the door lock, and sighed. She held a finger to her lips, telling him to be silent as she cast a muffliato spell, then smiled, handing his wand back to him. He took it and put it back in his pocket.

"At least one of us has the sense to cover our butts this late. Thanks." He said. Only when he looked behind her did he realize that there was a large mirror. The moonlight that streamed in reflected off of it and illuminated the room. She smiled, and walked up to it, looking in it.

"Where did this come from?" He asked, surprised. He'd been all over this school, and had never seen this mirror.

"It only appeared here recently. I stumbled on it when I was running away from some jerks trying to curse me." She explained. She sat down in front of it, and closed her eyes, focusing on something. She opened her eyes a short while later, and smiled at the mirror.

"Hi, Dad." She said, grinning at him. She stood, and spun around.

She looked over at him and smiled, reaching out a hand for him to take.

"Severus?" She asked. He slowly took her hand, his gut leaping. She pulled him to stand next to her, holding his hand comfortingly. He looked in the mirror, and his mouth dropped open. Staring back at him proudly was her father, wearing some type of uniform, a cap to match, and tightly laced black boots.

"Wow. You look a lot like him… er, like, your shape… uh…" He trailed off, feeling incredibly foolish.

Kathryn's Dad began to sign to her, and she smiled, translating for him.

"He says that you and I look good together." She told him. Severus smiled, and looked at the mirror again.

"Wow… I wasn't sure what you meant when you said that I could meet him, but this… this is amazing! What is this thing?" He asked. She laughed at his reaction, not having seen him this baffled in quite a while.

"I don't know. I think it shows us what we want to see. All we have to do is focus on it. Or, maybe it only shows us dead people. Here, you try." She said, stepping out of the view of the mirror. He looked at her, blurting out a startled "what"?

He looked at the mirror, and his confused reflection stared back at him. He thought for a minute, trying to think of who to think about. He looked at Kathryn unsure. She nodded at him, and then he back at the mirror. He thought of his mother, and concentrated, closing his eyes.

He slowly opened them, half expecting it to work. It didn't, and he chuckled.

"Well, it doesn't work with people that are alive." He muttered, sitting down. He closed his eyes again, and thought of his sister Kadie. He couldn't quite remember the tiny details, but when he opened his eyes again, there she was. He smiled.

"You were right. It must only work with dead people." He confirmed. She looked at him.

"Who do you know that's dead?" She asked. He shook his head.

"It's a long story. I can tell you tomorrow. Besides, that's not what I wanted to show you." He said, standing to face her. He took a few steps toward her, away from the view of the mirror. She waited, and then blushed as he started to unbutton his jacket and shirt, showing his chest and abs, handsomely toned from Quidditch practice and Karate. She looked him up and down.

"What are you…" She wondered aloud, scanning everything. He smiled at her.

"Close your eyes. Don't open them until I tell you."

She smirked, but did so. Severus focused, and forced his wings out, and spread them, stretching. He was surprised to learn that it felt really good. He took a deep breath.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now."

When she opened her eyes, her jaw dropped open, and she jumped, taking a few steps back. She then shook her head, and walked up to him and around him in a circle, examining him like he was on display at a museum. Truth be told, he felt like it.

"Are they… _real_?" She asked, reaching out to touch the feathers on it. She couldn't believe her hands when they touched them, the softness tickling her fingers. Her mind was blown. He had wings, and they were fucking _tangible_.

"Yes, they are." He admitted, nodding. She rushed back to face him, confusion on her face. Whatever she knew of human anatomy was now null and void.

"What the hell?" She blurted, her eyes wide. He smiled.

"How is this possible? Humans don't have wings!" She muttered aloud, her medical mind still on pause.

She gasped as she looked back at him.

"Are you… not human?" She asked. Severus nodded, smiling down at her. She stared back at him like she'd just been stupefied. His gut dropped when she turned away from him.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She asked. He frowned, displeased and slightly hurt by her statement.

"I didn't find out until last night, actually. That's what Nayeli left to talk about with our parents." He muttered, his skin breaking out in goose bumps as he feared that she was now afraid of him. She turned back around, and looked up at him.

"They didn't tell you until last night? How did you get these?" She asked, still baffled. He looked at her apologetically.

"I would have told you before if I knew." He muttered. She blinked tiredly, and hugged him. He smiled and hugged her back tightly. She glanced at the mirror, and blushed. Her father was right; they did look good together.

"That is a long story too, and I really want to get back to my mother. She seemed like she had something else to tell me." He whispered, breaking away from her and retracting his wings. He noticed it was the first time he'd actually done it himself. It seemed to come naturally, almost like a reflex.

He grabbed his shirt, and put it back on, buttoning it back up. He put on his jacket, thankful for the warmth.

"We'd better get you to Gryffindor Tower before we get into trouble." He reminded her. She nodded, and turned back to the mirror. Her father had left. She frowned, but then smiled, taking his hand and walking away.

They snuck back out of the library, and rushed up the stairs. She turned the corner on the seventh floor but stopped him as she saw that someone was out and about. She held up a finger to her lips, telling him to be silent. He nodded.

She looked up at the suit of armor that they were standing next, to, and grinned as she thought of an idea. She reached up to grab the helm off of it, but found that she was too short. She frowned. Severus grinned, and reached up and handed it to her, wondering what she was going to do.

With a small grunt, she hurled it across the hallway, and it clanged loudly and rolled down the carpet. They both flattened as much as they could against the wall and in the dark shadow of the wall, keeping insanely still as the person that had been monitoring the hallway. Severus' eyes widened as they realized that it was Professor Potter.

Kathryn poked her head out, and she could have sworn that she seen the woman grin.

They slipped around the corner, rushing like mad to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She was still awake, downing a glass of red wine, singing to herself. She looked almost _miserable_. She stared in slight shock as she saw Kathryn out of her common room _after _hours, of all things. Even more surprisingly, she was with Nayeli's _brother._

"Well, I'll be damned. This is a first for you, Kathryn." She commented. Kathryn blushed and muttered the password, taking a step forward. She paused, and turned back to Severus. He pulled her into another hug and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, smirking.

"I really appreciate all that you did for me, Severus. Thank you." She whispered. The Fat Lady wiped a few tears from her eyes, and smiled down at them. They were indeed cute together. She looked up as she heard more footsteps, and swung open the door, ushering them in. Kathryn and Severus waited in the space between the hallway and the common room, pressed together in a slightly awkward and suggestive manner.

Severus bit his lip until it hurt, trying to keep himself calm. He felt his nerves go haywire as she pushed herself up, blushing madly. His hands were on her hips, which he enjoyed, but he froze as he realized he had a raging boner.

She gasped as she felt it against her lower abdomen, and tried to stand up out of modesty. She only ended up pressing herself against him, and he groaned, his grip on her hips tightening.

"Kathryn…" He whispered heatedly, running a hand up her back. Chills erupted along her spine and she shuddered from the excitement as she felt a pool of heat between her legs. She looked up at him, nervous. His lips claimed hers in a heated kiss, and he held her tightly to his body. He lightly pushed her against the opposite wall, pressing against her again, pleased when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

He allowed his other hand to reach down and cup her butt, giving it a light squeeze. She giggled, and stood up on the balls of her feet to reach him a little better. She gave a hushed squeak of surprise when he grabbed her and lifted her up, pinning her to the wall by standing between her legs. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, holding onto his shoulders for dear life.

"Don't worry. I won't drop you." He reassured, claiming her mouth again. She closed her eyes and let out a small moan, running her fingers through his black hair. She moaned again when he slipped his tongue in her mouth, and she ran her tongue along his, enjoying the moment.

She pressed her core against him and he growled, breaking the kiss and attaching his mouth to her neck, kissing, sucking, and nibbling passionately.

"Oh, God, Severus…" She whispered, her voice caught in her throat. She trailed her hand along his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, and then further down his upper arm, amazed and cranked on by the flexing of his muscles as they supported her. He was amazingly strong.

When she began to slip, he grabbed her butt and lifted her again, a little higher against the wall. He hooked his arms underneath her knees, pinning her against the wall, not caring that the dress's edge had bunched up around her waist, revealing a pair of green lace underwear. He toyed with it, slipping his thumbs underneath the fabric and tightening his grip on her hips.

He began to grind himself against her, his eyes fluttering closed at the relief. The heat that she was emitting against his member nearly pushed him over the edge, but he slowed down, opening his eyes and staring at her. She was looking back at him through half-lidded eyes, back arched off the wall and her lips parted in silent moans.

She bucked her hips against him and he moaned, biting her lip gently as he began to kiss her again. She pushed herself up the wall as she started to slip again, grabbing his biceps and wrapping one arm around his shoulders. She broke away from their kiss to lean her mouth next to his ear.

"Couch." She demanded, wanting to feel him even closer to her. He gave a feral growl and pushed them off of the wall, carrying her over to the couch, and lying themselves down in it. She found that he was struggling with the size of it, and so reached into his pocket and grabbed his wand. She took it out and pointed it at the couch.

"_Engorgio_." She commanded. The couch widened and lengthened to the size of a twin bed, and he found that he was able to comfortably prop himself above her. She looked towards the direction of the dorm rooms, and raised his wand again, muttering another spell that he didn't catch, as well as a silencing spell. He shrugged off his jacket, as it was getting too warm for comfort.

She smiled at him as they kissed again, enjoying the fact that she was finally able to allow her small hands to roam his body. His shoulder blade muscles were taught, flexed as they worked to keep him propped up against her. He hissed as she brushed the area where his wings would protrude, as the muscles around them were still _very_ tender. _I'm sorry_. He'd barely heard her mutter.

She sat up, her legs still straddling his waist. She began to unbutton his shirt, and he held her against him, trailing her spine with the tips of his fingers. She kissed his neck tenderly, biting him as he'd done to her. She even took his earlobe into her mouth and tugged at it between her teeth. He chuckled in response.

She trailed her hands down the front of his chest. His pectoral muscles were well toned from his training, and she rubbed her thumb over the small bit of chest hair that grew between them. She let her eyes wander down his torso, down what Lily referred to as a "treasure trail", and to the tent in his pants. She immediately snapped her eyes back up to meet his. She smiled sheepishly as she traced his abs, and he sucked in a breath, slightly ticklish. She noted this for later, smirking.

He'd found the zipper of her dress, and slowly pulled it down, the zipping sound teasing both of their ears. He looped his index finger beneath the straps of the dress, pulling them down her smooth, petite shoulders. She smiled up at him nervously. He leaned forward and kissed her passionately, tracing her body with his hands.

She shivered as he lifted her dress, and lifted her arms as he pulled it over her shoulders. She blushed, and covered her chest with her arms. He chuckled at her; she was too cute sometimes. He grabbed her wrists gently and pulled them away.

"Let me see you, Kathryn." He whispered. He leaned forward to kiss her again, but then gasped and jumped as his sister's voice rang out in his head.

_Severus, how much longer are you going to keep us waiting? Mom's got something important to tell us. Get your butt down here, now! _She hissed. She didn't seem pleased.

Severus groaned, annoyed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Kathryn looked at him, confused.

"I've gotta go. My family's waiting for me… Impeccable fucking timing…" He growled, sighing heavily. He reached for the dress that he'd taken off of her barely a minute ago, and slipped it back on over her head. She frowned, but then nodded.

"Sorry to keep you…" She muttered. She understood that family was important.

He grinned and kissed her again, giving her butt a nice squeeze.

"Believe me, I don't want to leave." He purred. He grinned at her, and then kissed her again. He broke away reluctantly, and stood, stretching. He didn't mind when she gazed at him. He picked up his wand and put it back in his pocket, grabbing his shirt and throwing it on, finding that he had a difficult time buttoning it up. She handed him his jacket, and he thanked her, throwing it on and taking a few steps towards the door.

She rushed after him and hugged him around his middle, squeezing tightly.

"Good night, Severus." She whispered. He grinned and kissed the top of her head.

"Good night, Kathryn." He replied. She broke away and watched him as he left, fidgeting with her hands and rocking from side to side in a giddy fit. She giggled to herself as she rushed back to the couch, fishing around in her backpack for her diary. She unscrewed the cap to her ink bottle, and dipped her quill into it, scribbling excitedly onto the parchment.

Severus took his time, trying to calm himself down. By the time he got to their office, his raging boner was gone, thankfully. He knocked on the door, and Draco opened it, arching an eyebrow.

"Good to see you made it back… Did you have a good time?" He began. Severus grinned and nodded his head feverishly. As Severus walked in, Draco took his coat, and smirked.

"Your shirt's inside out, did you know?" He commented. Severus blanched, and his mouth dropped open. He set his hand on his forehead, embarrassed. No wonder he'd had trouble trying to get it buttoned up.

They all laughed, save for Jeffrey, who must have already been asleep.

Severus began to laugh too. At least they hadn't gotten on his case too badly.

"So, what's up, Mom? Nayeli said you had something…" He trailed off when he noticed that she was sharpening _Okami ni kama_. It rested on her lap while she ran a grind stone along the blade. It made a terrifying noise, and he shivered slightly.

He looked at the table, and saw a myriad of potions lined up neatly. Nayeli was sewing a small satchel to put them in. He turned and looked at his fathers for an explanation. They took deep breaths, and avoided his gaze to the floor.

"I am leaving tomorrow morning. Where I am going, you will not follow. Until I return, you are to stay here with your fathers and brother and sister, Severus. If your fathers tell you to run, you do that. You _will_ run and hide, do you understand?" She asked, keeping her eyes on her sword.

Severus began to tremble. He didn't remember the last time he'd heard her talk so seriously, if at all. Nayeli didn't meet his eyes either, but he saw that she had tears in them. He shook his head, somewhat angry.

"Why are you leaving, Mom? Why can't we go with you?" He hissed, scowling at her. She finally met his gaze, and his chest ached as he saw how red and puffy her eyes were.

"You said last night that you saw what happened to Kadie, Severus. I cannot bear to watch that again." She whispered, staring forlornly at the floor. She glanced at the clock. It was nearing midnight. She sighed, and went back to sharpening her weapons.

"You're going to Kadessa?" He asked. She let out a huff, almost a chuckle.

"Worse. I may end up going to Mayfil." She admitted, grabbing a rag off of the table and wiping away the shards of metal from the blade. She turned it, and held it out straight in front of her, blade towards the ceiling, examining her handiwork.

Normally she would be keeping them sharp for show. However, for the first time in a long time, she was sharpening it to kill.

Draco grabbed _Shinigami _off the wall as she put _Okami ni kama_ back into its scabbard, leaning it against the wall next to the chair. Draco handed it to her, visibly shaking. He was terrified. They all were.

"Promise me that you will continue your training, Severus?" She asked him. Severus looked at his mother sadly, and slowly nodded his head.

She looked up when he didn't answer, and almost let out a sob of her own, as Severus had a few tears falling from his eyes. She pushed _Shinigami_ off of her lap and onto the floor, standing and walking up to him, raising his face to meet hers.

"I love you, Severus. I love this family. I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep this family safe." She stated. He blinked, lost in the slurry of emotions that he felt. She smiled sadly at him.

"I am the one that trained the man I am going to kill. I know his secrets, his style, as he knows mine. If he were to come here, I know that he would use my weaknesses against me. That is why I am going there. I must have the upper-hand, because otherwise…" She trailed off, and looked away, dropping her hand.

Severus stood and hugged his mother, crying into her shoulder. He understood, much as he didn't want to.

"How long will you be gone, Mom?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I cannot say." She answered. He sighed, not liking her answer. She broke away from him, and back to her chair, crossing one leg over the other. She picked up _Shinigami_ and balanced the blade on her knee, running the grindstone along the edge. This process was much smoother than with her other blade, as there were less imperfections along the sharp edge of the blade.

She wiped the metal shards with a rag and put it back into its scabbard, closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall. She opened her eyes slowly.

"Severus, unbutton your shirt." She ordered, standing again and walking up to him. She set her hand on his left shoulder and formed a sign with her hands. Severus hissed as something burned him, and he wrinkled his nose as the smell of burning flesh hit it. It was a disgusting smell, one that he wouldn't like to ever smell again.

His mother kissed him tenderly on the cheek before walking up to Nayeli.

Nayeli looked up at the scent of something burning, and sat up.

"You too Nayeli." She ordered. Nayeli gave her a look, and then looked at Severus over her shoulder. He was grimacing and rubbing his shoulder lightly. She snapped her head back at her mother when she cleared her throat. Nayeli nodded, and pulled down the collar of her shirt, revealing her left shoulder as well.

Her eyes widened as a searing pain shot on her shoulder, a disturbing sizzling noise erupting from the seal that her mother made. She felt her eyes water, but closed then, grimacing as well. The after burn hurt worse than the initial burn.

Sheeva kissed her on the forehead tenderly as well, and turned away sadly.

"What was that, mother?" She asked, touching her shoulder lightly. It stung, and she hissed sharply.

"Should you run into trouble here, I will be able to come back to wherever you may be." She explained, reaching up to wipe away a tear. They all hugged her, and sniffled. The clock run out, signaling that it was midnight, causing them all to jump and break apart.

Sheeva looked around, checking off the mental list she'd made. Her swords were ready, sharpened. Her potions were in her bag. Her children, sealed. She took a deep breath, and nodded. Everything was in order.

"You should go to bed Nayeli, Severus." Sheeva announced. They began to tremble, and clung to her, both beginning to cry. She smiled, and allowed herself to cry as well, sobbing into Nayeli's shoulder.

Draco and Blaise cried too, and joined hands, silently comforting one another.

"Please, don't go!" Nayeli cried. Sheeva steeled herself, and nodded.

"I must. I am the only one that can." She reminded her daughter. She began to hum the lullaby that she used to sing for them when they were younger, and Nayeli felt herself being lulled to sleep. She fought a yawn, but failed, and Sheeva smiled as she noticed.

She whispered a goodnight, and waved her hand, sending Nayeli to the Gryffindor common room. She fell to her knees in front of the fireplace, sobbing as quietly as she could handle. She didn't notice that Kathryn was fast asleep on the couch until she finished her cry and stood to go to her bed. She caught herself smiling a little, and grabbed the blanket off of the back of the lounge chair and tossed it on her friend.

She dimmed the fire with a wave of her hand, and sighed, walking to her dorm room. She stared at her bed, and scowled at it. Now that her mother was gone, she feared that she might have even more nightmares.

Nayeli shook her head.

_No. I've got to take charge! If I cover it up with potions, I'll be on those damn things for the rest of my life!_ She thought to herself, yawning again. With a new bout of confidence, she pulled back the covers and crawled into her bed, her eyes drooping closed and falling asleep quicker than she thought that she would.

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Please review! Even if it's just to say "Eat monkey turds and die!"

...On second thought, don't use those words...


	9. Chapter 9

Sheeva sat up, wide-eyed, trembling and gasping as she snapped out of her nightmare. She glanced behind her as she calmed down, checking to see if Draco or Blaise had woken up. To her relief, they hadn't. She slowly crept out of bed, and grabbed her bathrobe and threw it on, putting up her shield so that she didn't have to look at herself in the mirror as she passed it. She already knew that she had broken into a sweat, as she felt some of it on her forehead.

She made her way to the kitchen and turned on the small burner, setting the kettle on it. She kept her mind preoccupied by unwrapping two bags of her favorite tea, orange spice. She set them in the cup, wrapped the strings around the handle, and waited, crossing her arms and staring blankly at the kettle.

She snatched the kettle off of the stove as steam started hissing out of the hole in the spout, and poured the freshly heated water in her cup. She took it to the couch, sitting down and taking a sip. It soothed her, but her stomach still felt queasy.

When she brought it away from her lips, she frowned as she realized that she was still trembling. She set it down a little harder than she'd intended to, and it clinked loudly. She winced, and looked to the bedroom. She didn't want to wake them up, as they all needed sleep.

How could she sleep, though, knowing what she needed to do?

She crossed one leg over the other and sat back, biting her lip and thinking. She stared at the wall where her weapons lay ready, sparkling in the dim light. She'd spent hours sharpening them, channeling energy into her wedding ring, trying as much as she could to mentally prepare herself.

She grabbed her satchel that she'd left on the couch, and rummaged through it, double checking to ensure she had what she might need. She took out the healing potions, blood-replenishing, and nutrient potions, arranging them on the coffee table in an almost OCD order. She even had a med kit that she'd assembled herself.

This calmed her somewhat, as she knew that this was really all she needed, other than the courage to go through with her frightening task. She began to repack the bag, and had just finished tying off the opening when her son's voice rang out into the room, causing her to jump and let out a startled "Oh!" of surprise.

"Mommy, what are you doing up?" He asked, wiping the sleep away from his eyes. His blonde-brown hair swished back and forth as he walked over to her, crawling into her lap. She hugged him tightly, and set aside her bag.

"Did you have a nightmare, Jeffrey?" She asked, worried. After Nayeli's recent confession of her nightmares, she couldn't help but wonder what Jeffrey's were about. She hoped that they weren't as bad. Just a ghost chasing after him, or being lost in the giant castle. Those were peaceful compared to the dreams Nayeli was experiencing.

"No, I just had to pee." He announced, proud of himself. She smiled. He really had gotten much better at waking up to use the bathroom, and they were wondering if he would be completely potty-trained before Severus had been.

"You are doing such a good job, Jeffrey. I am so proud of you!" She complimented, reaching over him to take another drink of her tea. She was still shaking, and Jeffrey noticed.

"Mommy, you're shaking. Are you scared? Did you have a bad dream?" He asked. Slowly, Sheeva nodded. She could be honest with him for the time being.

"Yes, I did. Grown-ups get nightmares too. And yes, I am very scared." She replied, hugging him tightly, rocking him back and forth. She didn't know how long it would be until she got back, as her target could be _anywhere._ They hardly had any intel on him at this point, and probably wouldn't for a while. He was laying low, biding his time, she figured.

She sighed, blinking away tears. She'd been the one to teach him to fight. He had a knack for strategy, as well as an immense amount of patience. This was merely a waiting game for him.

"You're awake now. Was there a big, black dog?" He asked. Sheeva looked down at him, slightly shocked.

"What?" She asked. Jeffrey turned around in her lap to look at his mother better.

"I keep dreaming about this giant black dog. It's so big, it's as big as a troll!" He blurted in his timid voice. She looked out at the table, lost in thought, her stomach tying itself up.

"Have you been seeing it in your nightmares, Jeffrey?" She asked sternly. To her dismay, he nodded.

"It can run really, really fast, and jump really high! There was one time I was dreaming that I was in the Astronomy Tower, and it leaped up in the air from the ground all the way to the top of the tower! When I looked in its eyes, they were scary red!" He said excitedly. She felt her breathing catch in her chest, and she knew that her eyes were wide. She'd dreamt about it, too, but not in a very, very long time. Not since before the Kadessa-Mayfil war that had claimed her first husband.

It was a legendary beast, almost a myth. There was a great, big, black dog, the size of a small bear cub, with abnormal strength and agility. It could crush logs with its bite, and break down stone doors with its front paws. Rumor had it that if a person came across this black dog, a bad omen was heading their way.

Even worse? The color of its eyes conveyed the manner of the omen. Yellow eyes supposedly meant that the omen was merely a stroke of "bad luck", something that Sheeva didn't believe in. "Luck" was merely "coincidence" in her book. She'd stopped believing in "luck" a long time ago. Red eyes, however, brought death along with it, and oftentimes, the "prophecy" was correct. If a person were to see a red-eyed dog, he or she, or someone close to them, would most likely die.

This terrifying creature was titled the Bunghee Dog, and as she remembered its name, she shuddered. Jeffrey noticed, and shook her a little bit.

"What's wrong?" He asked. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

"You've seen the Bunghee dog?" She asked, looking in his brown eyes. He nodded, and she knew that he wasn't lying.

"It has a name?" He asked, shivering. She nodded.

"Yes, Jeffrey. Do not worry. It will be alright. It is only a dream." She said, stroking his hair and placing a kiss on his forehead. He smiled, and hugged her again.

"Jeffrey, listen to me." She started. He moved away to look at her.

"Yes, Mommy?" He asked. She smiled sadly at him. She would really miss him. Hell, she'd miss all of them. Who wouldn't?

She took his face in her hands, and sighed.

"While I am gone, if your fathers or older siblings tell you to run and hide, you do it. Do not leave until they or Kathryn come to find you, understand, honey? There are some bad guys out there, and I do not want them to hurt you." She explained, leaving it at that. Jeffrey gasped, and his eyes widened.

"Really? Who are they?" He asked nervously, scared. She shook her head, and hugged him tightly.

"Do not worry about that. I am going to stop them before they can even _try _to hurt my family. That is where I am going, sweetie. To keep the bad guys far away from you and our family." She stated, her resolve replenished. Jeffrey nodded.

"Okay, Mommy, I promise." He said, closing his eyes and curling up in her lap. She smiled and lay down on the couch, hugging her son close, stroking his hair, and singing him a small lullabye.

Eventually he fell asleep, and so did she. She didn't wake when Blaise covered the both of them with her white blanket that Draco had given her many years ago. She hardly felt his lips brush her cheek in a loving kiss, already in a deep and heavy sleep. It would probably be her last moment of comfort for quite a while.

* * *

Sheeva stood facing the statue of the gargoyle, clutching a letter addressed to Neville with very specific instructions concerning a few other letters she'd written and a diary that she kept. She wanted to deliver them herself, ensuring their arrival.

"Excuse me." She muttered to the gargoyle. It opened a groggy eye, not used to being woken up this early in the morning. It glared down at her.

"I need to deliver this letter. It has very important and specific instructions, vital to the safety of my family, as well as everyone in this castle. Please, let me through." She explained. The gargoyle looked at her, and finally recognized her face in the dim light. If she had been wearing one of her dresses, he might have recognized her immediately.

However, he felt intimidated when he saw that she had her wings shown and her two swords strapped to her back, a satchel clipped to her black pants. The legs were tucked into her boots, where she had a spare knife attached to the side. Her black leather coat was hanging open, and her grey t-shirt hung loosely from her shoulders.

The gargoyle nodded, and stepped aside, allowing the stairs to rise. After she'd climbed up, he followed, sitting back down and resetting the stone steps.

She stared at the walls littered with portraits, a twinge of pain aching in her chest at seeing Albus and Severus' faces. They smiled back at her, and Severus frowned slightly as he saw how she was dressed.

"Where are you going, Sheeva?" He asked. She stared back at him sadly, and then dropped her head in shame, staring at the floor. She shook her head to clear it. She couldn't allow herself any more moments of weakness.

"There is someone threatening my family, Sev… I am going to kill him." She said bluntly. Severus nodded, and said nothing else. He had faith in her still, and knew that she would try her best.

Neville had thrown on his bathrobe, and was standing by his desk, scowling, but then blinked as she announced her intent. He cleared his throat to announce his presence. She snapped her head to him, and muttered an apology.

"I am sorry for waking you at this hour, but I have something that I need you to do. In the library, there is a room with a mirror. That mirror is a portal to a very dangerous world. I need you to seal that room off to students by any means necessary, including my children and my husbands. Where I am going, I do not want them to follow. Should they be captured…" She trailed off, her gut clenching. She cleared her throat and looked back at him.

"Should they be captured, they will be killed without mercy." She finished, trying again to seal away her emotions. It was the only way that she felt she would be able to complete this task. Otherwise, her heart might give in, and she would take pity. All throughout history, tyrants would rule and innocents would die due to "pity", because "they should be given a chance".

Neville stared at her, and slowly nodded, remembering his first encounter with one of their kind. Even though she'd been there to protect them, he shivered at the thought of her _not _being there this time.

"People like Zarkas?" He asked, slightly fearful. She frowned at the mention of the name.

"Worse than Zarkas." She replied, handing him the stack of letters. She also reached behind her and gave him a blue notebook.

"If I do not return in two weeks, give the notebook to Severus. I want Nayeli and Severus to read it, the entire thing, and train. I have given specific detail, so there should not be any problem. Severus and Nayeli are smart. They can figure it all out." She explained, crossing her arms and leaning against the large wooden desk.

"And the letters?" He asked, holding them up. The top one was addressed to him. She remained silent for a few minutes, trying to find her voice.

"Should I die, I want you to follow the instructions in your letter. Promise me that you will. If you could make an unbreakable vow with me, I would make you do it." She stated. He stared at her, and paled. He glanced down at the letters in his hand.

"What exactly—

-I am expecting the best, but prepared for the worst. Should I fail, if they invade, you and your kind _will _be annihilated." She hissed, glaring daggers at him for questioning her actions. He gulped and nodded slowly. She took a deep breath, and glanced around the room once more. She stared at Fawkes as she saw him, and smiled. He was still there, although he was looking absolutely _dreadful_.

"Do you have a spare vial? I would like to take some Phoenix tears with me, should I run into trouble." She asked. Neville nodded and retrieved one from the cupboard with the pensieve in it, and handed it to her.

"Depends on if he'll give them to you. He's been looking awful." He muttered. The bird had been rather stubborn for him, and had been looking ill for weeks now. He'd tried everything that he could think of from tonics to potions, and nothing seemed to help him.

"Are you not familiar with the Phoenix? They burst into flames once every year, and are reborn from their ashes. There are only a few left in this world now." She explained, stroking its breast feathers kindly. It looked at her, and seemed to smile, glancing at the vial that she held.

"Fawkes, I have a task to do. May I have some of your tears?" She asked. It cocked its head to the side, and cried into the vial, managing a few drops with the last of its energy. She stoppered it, and placed it in the satchel at her side carefully.

The bird cooed at her, and spread its red wings, and burst into flames. She smiled. It really was an amazing sight to behold. Neville screamed and backed away, shielding his eyes.

A few minutes later, a baby bird popped its head out from the embers, and cried out at them.

"You see? In death, there is always a form of rebirth." She muttered wisely before turning on her heel and striding out of the office.

Hastily she made her way to the library and to the back room. She was stunned slightly when she saw that the sheet that had originally covered it was removed, lying in a pile on the floor. She glanced around, and noticed a feather on the floor. She picked it up and examined it closely. It wasn't hers, nor was it Kagure's.

That only meant one of two things. Her kids had found this room, or someone else had already entered through the portal. She forced herself to believe that it was the former rather than the latter. As she went to set the feather on the window sill, she noticed the shawl that Kathryn had been wearing last night folded neatly on the sill. She smiled, greatly relieved.

She took a deep breath and faced the mirror again, walking up to it.

According to Kagure, the mirror was supposed to take her to his office, which was heavily guarded at all times by people that he could trust with his life. Skeptically, she grabbed _Okami ni kama_ and held it at the ready, making a few seals and tossing a ray of black energy at the mirror.

It hit, and spread out. The portal opened with a boom, wind rushing every which way as the portal sucked the wind in. Her hair whipped in front of her face, and she closed her eyes as she ran through it fearlessly.

She felt the gravitational shifts and felt like her muscles were being pushed and pulled in all directions, and she briefly opened her eyes. She wished she hadn't, as all she saw were billions of stars, spinning around her at such a pace it made her queasy.

She tucked her knees into her chest, curling herself up into a ball as she floated, biding her time until she arrived at the other side.

* * *

She hit the ground rather hard, and grunted as she rolled over to alleviate the pain. She pushed herself up and stood, looking around.

Much to her horror and surprise, she'd made it. Kagure sat at his desk, pushing papers. He looked up at her through his wolf mask, and smiled at her, though she couldn't see it. She looked back at him, the horror evident on her face. She'd really made it.

Her legs shook, and she forced herself to walk over to the nearest chair and sit down in it before they collapsed on her.

"You made it." He started. She hardly heard him, the blood pounding in her head. She looked around at his office. It seemed that it hadn't changed much in the time that she'd been gone. Pictures of his success and a few of his family hung crookedly on the wall, knocked askew from her entrance. Twelve years, had it been?

She looked at him, still stunned. He stared back at her, and chuckled.

"Senator Bakhrieva." She muttered. She stood, and walked up to him. He nodded, leaning back in his chair and spreading his arms.

"Yep, it's me. I'm right here." He stated. She sighed, and put _Okami ni kama _back in its sheath, and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. She folded her fingers together and rested them in her lap.

"Anything new that I should know about?" She asked. Kagure shook his head.

"We last saw him in Tryptic Village, but that is all that we know. Are you sure you can do this?" He asked, worried. He hadn't seen her in years, and the last he'd seen, she was barely able to fend off a few warriors.

She snapped her head up to look him in the eye, glaring at him.

"Yes. I have to." She hissed. He nodded.

He looked at her. She was determined, he'd give her that. But she still looked scared, nervous. She looked around, and stood to leave.

"If you do not mind, I am going to get going. I want to be through with this as soon as possible." She announced, beginning to walk away. He stopped her.

"You should probably take a team with you." He suggested. She turned her head back to look at him, scowling.

"They will only hold me back. I will do this on my own." She huffed, reaching for the door.

"He's got an army, you know. You really should take a team with you. They can take care of the army, you can take care of Tazaro." He suggested again. Her chest hurt at the mention of her dead husband's name. Twelve thousand years, and it still hurt her to think of it, let alone _hear _it.

She took a deep breath and turned back around.

"Where do I go, then?" She asked. He smiled at her again, and handed her a file.

"I've already assembled a team for you." He explained. She opened it, and flipped through it. Not a single woman was on this team, and she frowned. Things really hadn't changed at all. She snapped the file shut and tucked it under her arm.

"Do they know that I will be leading them?" She asked. He nodded his head, and for that, she was thankful. Perhaps it wouldn't be as much of a pain in the ass as she'd originally thought.

"Are they waiting for me?" She asked. He checked the clock, and nodded. Where there were twelve hours in the human's realm, here there were fifteen. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile as she realized that she could still read it. 13:45.

"They should be in the lobby by now. I had them meet here for convenience." He explained. She nodded, and turned back around, heading for the door again. She stopped when he grabbed his red cloak and threw it on his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" She asked. He chuckled.

"I'm going with you, obviously." He stated, opening the door. She glared at him.

"They are just men, Kagure. I do not need a bodyguard. I could kick their ass in five seconds." She growled confidently. He laughed at her comment and shut the door behind him, locking it with a wave of his hand and a drop of his energy. No one would be able to enter this room now but him, a useful strategy that he'd developed for himself.

"Of that I have no doubt, but I still want to see their faces." He admitted, somewhat excited. She rolled her eyes and began to walk down the hallway. The tiles on the floor irritated her. They alternated white and blue, like a chess board.

As they landed on the first floor, Sheeva looked around, and then looked up at the chandelier that illuminated the room. Once a pretty sight, she dreaded it now, as it only reminded her that this was real. She followed Kagure as he walked up to a group of men.

Two of them were sitting in the couch, one reading a book and the other picking at his fingernails with his knife. One was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and staring at the ground, deep in thought. He merely glanced at Kagure and Sheeva as they approached, tutted to himself, and averted his gaze to the floor again. Another was relaxing in a chair, his legs propped over the arm of it and his back resting against the other.

The one reading the book had curly black hair that covered his ears, and the edges of them framed his forehead and the tops of his cheekbones. He had a goatee, and his eyes were alight with emotion at the book he was reading. She read the title, and didn't recognize the book. It must have been written after she left, she guessed. As he looked up at them, she noticed that his irises were red.

The one that was fiddling with the knife had his straight long black hair pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck, and it fell over his shoulder as he looked up. He cut himself on accident, and hardly flinched. He brought his middle finger to his mouth and sucked away the blood, licking at the cut. It healed itself instantly. This man's irises were a light teal color, and shimmered in the dim light.

She turned her head to the man that had tutted at them a second ago, and lightly nodded her head in recognition. Judging by his stance and demeanor, he didn't much care for the current arrangement, nor the current situation. She took a deep breath, thinking that he would give her the most grief on this mission. His irises were grey, and his brow furrowed in thought. He had light blue hair, and a tattoo on his neck. What it was, she didn't know. She didn't care, either.

The one that was relaxing in the chair shot her an arrogant smirk, and shot a small dagger at her direction, aiming for her face. She swiftly caught it and shot it back at him, and it embedded itself in the back of the chair where his head had just been. He sneered again, chuckling.

"Well, you're better than I thought you'd be." He stated. She shot him a look. He had long red hair and blue eyes, something that she'd rather not see at this moment. He reminded her much of Zarkas. However, he had a green headband on that lifted his bangs out of his face. Whether it was there for that reason, or if he was hiding something, Sheeva wasn't sure, but she felt that it was both.

"Putting me to the test already?" She asked. The man smirked again, and nodded slightly.

"Of course. It's not every day you get pushed around by a _woman_." He commented. His voice was deep, and taunting her. She gave him a look.

"I am not here to push you around like children. You have your task. I have mine." She explained. She really didn't want to cause an argument, but felt that it might end up happening anyway. The man that was leaning against the wall arched an eyebrow. This comment had surprised him slightly.

"We're to understand that you will be fighting your husband, correct? And, we're to take care of the army?" He asked, checking to make sure. She looked him dead in the eye and nodded.

"That is correct. However, the man I am after is not my husband. This man is an imposter." She explained. The corners of his lips curled in a smile. _What a wonderful twist of events._ He thought.

"We can't come running if you get into trouble, you know." The arrogant red-haired male stated, jeering at her. She scowled at him.

"I can take care of myself. I have been living for twelve-thousand years in a world far more vile than this one." She hissed. Already, she didn't like two out of four of them. The ponytail on the couch sat up and crossed his arms and legs. At her comment, he'd gained a shred of respect for her, not ashamed to throw away the dignity of being a male in doing so.

"I'm Artix Gilleppe." He introduced himself, also having a deep voice, tilting his head at her slightly. She calmed somewhat, pleased that he'd actually taken the time to introduce himself. She nodded back at him respectfully.

"Sheeva Zabini-Malfoy." She introduced herself. The curly black haired man looked up, confused.

"On your file, it says Sheeva Chorea." He stated. His voice wasn't as deep as the others, perhaps an octave higher. She nodded.

"I abandoned that name _years_ ago. Please keep in mind that file that you have is extremely outdated." She explained. The man nodded, and dog-eared his book, and closed it. As she saw this, she suddenly felt her heart ache for Blaise, but she bit her tongue and blinked, closing her emotions away. She couldn't allow herself to become emotional whatsoever in front of these men, as they were probably (unfortunately, she would say) her only chance of even getting close to killing Tazaro.

"Kalas Kanites." He introduced himself. She nodded at him too.

"Zabini-Malfoy, huh? Are you telling us you _married_ one of those creatures?" The arrogant one asked, shooting a disapproving look in her direction. She scowled, and he smirked at her, pleased with himself for breaking her bearing. She took a deep, calming breath, and looked away, staring at something in the distance, trying not to think of her husbands and children.

"Where hate has boundaries, Love is boundless. It is in everyone, whether it be a love of men, women, both… even in torture and murder there is love. It is impossible to 'hate' everything." She stated. She crossed her arms and checked the clock on the wall. To her, they'd already wasted ten minutes.

"Your name, Mr. Arrogant?" She asked, crossing her arms and staring at him coldly. He smirked, a glint in his eye as his seemingly new pet name.

"Joseph Cowles." He stated. She merely nodded, and looked at the man still leaning against the wall, staring at the floor. He didn't look up at her. She shrugged and turned around, figuring that he wouldn't bother saying it, or even attempt at introducing himself. No matter. The less she knew these men, the better off they'd be. Still, she flipped through the file until she'd found his papers. _Zakkari Lotte._

"We should get going. If he is in Tryptic, he is not far away from here. I must admit, I am surprised that he has not attacked Raynak yet, Senator Bakhrieva. Be on your guard." She ordered, shrinking the file with a spell she'd created herself and tucking it away in her coat pocket.

The four men stood and followed her, Joseph grumbling, irate at the current situation. Atrix and Kalas walked side by side, Kalas immersed yet again in his book. Zakkari stayed to the back, watching the crowd around them cautiously from behind his bangs, hands in his pockets.

They stood at the gate of Raynak, Sheeva finding herself hesitating slightly. She looked up at the large wooden doors, protective seals and signets carved into them. The last time she'd seen them, her life had been fucked over.

"Scared, _woman?_" Joseph jeered, trying again to get an angered rise out of her. She let her gaze fall to the smaller door that allowed for small groups to pass through. Slowly, she nodded, admitting her fear.

"Yes, Cowles. However, it is not about me. There is another world also at stake." She stated. Cowles stood up straight, examining her. Even though she admitted to being scared, she sure as hell didn't look it. He blinked, and stroked his chin.

She was lost in her thoughts, oblivious to the other men who were staring at her, somewhat amazed. Not even half an hour, and she'd said things that had gotten them thinking: _Maybe their 'traditions' were wrong._

"Well, then, what are you waiting for? Lead us the way, Sheeva Zabini-Malfoy." Kalas said behind her. She nodded, and reached out a steady, confident hand, opening the door.

* * *

Well, it will take me a while to get the other chapters out, as i'm picking up extra hours at work, and school is always trying to kick my butt. :)

Hooray for energy!

Please review! I know that this was a long chapter...


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry this took a while to get out there. Work was kicking my ass.

Enjoy, and please review! It'll make it seem a little more worthwhile. I need a little bit of positive energy!

Please?

* * *

Jeffrey, Severus, and Nayeli walked slowly into the Grand Hall, in a daze. They'd woken up early, not able to rest very well. A shadow seemed to loom over Hogwarts today, and they drowned in it. They couldn't believe that their mother was gone.

Ignoring everyone else, Nayeli sat with Jeffrey and Severus at the Slytherin table. This brought up many questions about Nayeli's actions, as she almost _never_ sat with Severus, let alone wanted it to be known that she was related to him.

Severus stared off at the Gryffindor table, and caught Kathryn's eye. She smiled at him and blushed, and he smiled briefly, but his smile faded soon after as Draco and Blaise joined their depressed group. Kathryn looked down at her bowl of oatmeal, half finished. She pushed the rest of it around in her bowl, worried.

Severus's mood only meant one of two things. A family matter had come up, or he was upset with her, she thought. Lily and Albus exchanged looks as Draco and Blaise sat down. None of them smiled.

"Did something happen last night? I don't see Sheeva." Lily asked, looking around. Kathryn looked up, a sliver relieved. She still felt bad for all of them, however. She excused herself and stood, walking over to the Slytherin table and to Severus and Nayeli. She rested a hand on their shoulders, squeezing lightly.

"Are you all—She began, but was cut off by the headmaster. The hall silenced as he cleared his throat. He pointed his wand to his throat and began to talk in a projected voice.

"Miss Sheeva is away on personal business. Her term of leave is undefined. Until she returns, the third classroom in the back of the library is off limits to students and teachers, and perpetrators _will_ be punished." He stated in his most threatening manner. Students that didn't know about the classroom ignored the statement, as they couldn't care less.

Other students began to whisper among themselves: _Where did Sheeva go? Why'd she leave without telling us?_

Kathryn's stomach churned. Severus and she had just been there last night. _Had there been an accident?_ She wondered. She looked at Professors Malfoy and Zabini, and then down at Severus, Nayeli, and Jeffrey. She could only imagine how they felt.

They avoided eye contact for a while, picking at their food. Jeffrey managed to finish his plate only because Kathryn kept egging them all on. He understood that she was trying to make sure that they were all right.

"What happened?" She asked. Nayeli looked up and caught glances with her father, who nodded, and looked around.

"Not here. We don't know if we are being watched." He muttered. Kathryn barely heard it, but she blinked a few times. She nodded slowly. For them to act so severely, she figured that it must have been something extremely dangerous.

"Daddy… What does undefined mean?" Jeffrey asked, confused. Blaise stared at their youngest.

"It means that they don't know." He answered.

"Oh… but… Mommy will be back soon, right?" He asked. Draco and Blaise caught eyes, and then looked back at him. They nodded and forced a smile.

"She'll be back soon." They reassured him. The twins scowled, as they honestly felt that wasn't the case. Both of them, in a way, had seen who and what she was up against, and it ate at their confidence in their mother.

The silence finally got to him, and Severus dropped his fork and excused himself, muttering an apology to Kathryn as he passed. The rest of the family stood and rushed after him, including Kathryn. As Severus bypassed his parent's office, Blaise reached out and grabbed the collar of his robes and pulled him back. He opened the door and threw him in. The others followed and Kathryn shut the door behind her. She grew even more alarmed when Nayeli shut and locked the door quickly, muttering a silencing spell.

"This isn't fair!" Severus barked.

He dropped down on the couch, crossing his arms and glaring at a spot on the floor. True, he was being childish, but he didn't care at this moment.

Kathryn sat down next to him, and reached out a hand for him to take. He calmed, and took it.

"Severus, please tell me. What's going on?" She asked him. He huffed and stared at the coffee table.

"She left this morning. There is someone threatening our family, and she is going to kill him." He admitted. His hold on her hand tightened as he fought the urge to cry. He cringed as she set her other hand on top of his, giving his hand a light squeeze for comfort.

Kathryn shuddered slightly as she tried to imagine a bloodthirsty, violent Sheeva. Considering that she was so motherly, it was difficult for her.

"Where did she go?" She asked. When Severus didn't answer, she looked at Nayeli for an answer. Nayeli sat herself down in the chair and stared at her best friend. She took a deep breath, wondering if Kathryn would think that they'd gone absolutely berserk. Nayeli was still in a daze.

"Kadessa, possibly Mayfil." She answered. The words didn't roll off her tongue easily, and she felt extremely awkward saying them.

Kathryn took a moment to remember if she'd ever heard about these places before. She shook her head as she admitted, she didn't have a clue of what they were talking about.

"Those aren't places on Earth, are they?" She asked, somewhat calmly. Nayeli shook her head. Kathryn nodded in realization.

"I see." She muttered. Draco and Blaise grabbed a chair for each of them and sat down. Jeffrey climbed into Draco's lap.

"You seem to be taking this well." Draco commented. Kathryn smiled at him.

"When you open your imagination, anything is possible." She stated, using a line from one of her favorite American television shows, Fringe. She sat back, putting a finger to her lips and mulling things over in her head.

"She left through the mirror in the library." She assessed. She felt Severus tense, and she figured that he was afraid that she'd spill the beans about their being out after hours. She dismissed the concern, as she wasn't a tattletale. Blaise and Draco's mouths dropped open. Severus' eyes flashed in a sudden idea, and his fathers didn't catch it, but his sister did. She sent him a warning look.

"How do you know about that?" They asked. She chuckled at their response.

"I stumbled upon it when I was running away from some bullies last Wednesday." She admitted. She frowned, lost in her thoughts, still upset at the fact that she wouldn't be able to see her father again for a while.

"Huh… I thought Sheeva said that she hid it." Blaise muttered. Kathryn glanced at him, relieved for not being reprimanded.

"She did say that, but in such an obvious place?" Draco asked. Kathryn smiled as a thought came to her.

"People are blind, and often only see what they _want _to see. An old dusty mirror in an abandoned classroom fits. Nothing is out of the ordinary. People would see it standing there and think nothing of it." She explained, proud of herself. Her professors stared at her, amazed.

_Ever the clever girl_. Draco found himself thinking. He frowned as he realized that it was something that his wife would say. His chest tightened at the longing he felt for her. She hadn't said goodbye to any of them, and that upset them.

He supposed he understood, however. Long goodbyes brought second thoughts, something that Sheeva couldn't have afforded. Even though she was somewhat of a living machine, she still had moments of weakness. Weaknesses that her enemy could use against her.

"So, who is she going to kill?" Kathryn asked, still unnerved as she tried to imagine Sheeva fighting someone, let alone killing them. Severus' hand tightened on the edge of the couch as he felt his anger rise again.

"Her husband, or who must be an impostor of him." He muttered. Kathryn shot him a confused look.

"Wait, what? I thought she was only married to you two!" She blurted, looking to Draco and Blaise.

"She is. Her previous husband was killed in war. So either she was lied to, or he's come back from the dead, or someone is playing with her head." Draco explained, covering and plugging up his son's ears.

Jeffrey scowled, and crossed his arms, but put up with it anyway.

Kathryn nodded as she understood.

"Anything is possible. Besides, you two have wings, don't you? We all have magic. Who's to say that people coming back from the dead isn't possible?" She suggested. At this, Severus dropped his head and set it in his hands, running his hands through his hair.

Nayeli scowled and crossed her arms too.

"At least we know what that mirror does now." Severus commented. They all stared at him sternly.

"You heard your mother. You're not going." Blaise hissed. Severus glared back at him.

"I can fight too. So can Nayeli." He growled. Kathryn stood and walked around across from him, sitting next to Nayeli. She crossed her arms, giving him a stern look as well. He was slightly surprised. This was a wake-up call for him, and he uncrossed his arms and calmed himself down.

"We don't know what's out there, Severus. Mom does. I really think that you should wait this out. Have a little faith in Mom, ok? It's hard, I know. I'm going to have to deal with this too, just like you." Nayeli consoled him, almost sounding worried that he was going to fly off the handle and do something crazy.

To be honest, he felt like it.

He looked at his family, and closed his eyes, and sighed heavily.

"Sorry…" He mumbled, standing and walking away. Nayeli waited for a few minutes before taking off too, checking to make sure that he wasn't going to try to get into the library. Jeffrey hopped down off of Draco's lap and chased after them.

Kathryn sat there, staring at her hands that were now folded in her lap.

A lot had happened in less than 24 hours. She hadn't felt this dazed since she received the news of her father's death. She blinked back a few tears at the thought, and forced herself to look at something else to get her mind off of things.

_Right before winter break, too._

She gasped.

"Finals are next week." She blurted, mostly to herself, her hands itching as she felt the drive to go to her common room and study. However, this drive was quickly shut down by the guilt she felt. She _had _to go back to the orphanage, she knew. But, how could she leave her friends like this?

"So they are… And winter break is around the corner." Blaise muttered, resting his head on his arm.

As he looked at Kathryn, he almost felt sorry for her. Her face had paled, and she was fidgeting nervously with the hem of her shirt, biting her lip. Her eyes looked from side to side, as though she were contemplating what to do. Figuring it was about the orphanage, he broke the ice.

"Are you going to go back? I don't think that it's a good idea. Severus and Nayeli will be besides themselves." He asked. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"I have to. Those kids… Those poor kids, they rely on me." She muttered, wiping away at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Take them with you." Draco suggested. At this, she paled even more and looked wide eyed at Draco.

"I can't do that, sir. I can't." She said with a shaky voice. She was definitely terrified of something.

"Why not? What's happening that you're not telling us, Huître?" He growled, reaching up a hand to set it on her shoulder, attempting to comfort her. At his movement, she squeaked and raised her hands to the sides of her head. An involuntary reaction for her, she hadn't had time to resist it.

Draco sat back, and hummed. He recognized it all too well. It was one of the things that he'd do when his father would beat him as a child.

"Do the other kids beat you up?" Blaise asked, slightly worried. She was, after all, dating his son. He could only imagine the emotional baggage she had with her.

She slowly nodded, and then shook her head no.

"They only do it when Madame Maddess is around. I'm the freak of the lot. When she's not around, though, we take care of each other, because all we have is each other. They can't say no, either. They're too afraid. They can't really afford to, either. You obey, or you don't eat." She explained.

"I hardly eat when I'm there. That's why I eat so much here. Because I know that I might not be able to for a week, at best." She muttered. Draco shut and locked the door, muffling the room. He didn't know if Severus or Nayeli knew, but he did _not _want them walking in on this conversation. It'd kill them.

"Merlin, Kathryn, you'll die if you keep going back there!" Blaise argued with her. She sent him a glare, and shook her head.

"You don't understand! If I don't go back, _they _will die!" She hissed, outraged. She caught herself, and slinked back, muttering an apology for her outburst. Draco frowned.

"What do you think will happen if you take Severus and Nayeli with you?" He asked. She put her head in her hands, and hid her shame.

"I don't know. I don't want to find out. It'll kill them. Maddess might act civil, and treat us all better, but then once they leave, she'll punish me for bringing them there. She was so furious the first time." She admitted.

"What did she do?"

Blaise's stomach lurched as she grabbed her wand and flicked it, dispelling the blemishing charm she'd placed on herself and lifted her shirt to reveal her stomach.

_Freak. Satanist. Slut. Evil witch. _As well as many other vile and sickening phrases were carved into her skin. Draco couldn't see, but he didn't need to. Blaise's expression was good enough to guess.

"You're not going back there." Draco growled. She put down her shirt and turned on her heel, facing him, sending him a look that rivaled Nayeli's when she was angry.

"You can't tell me what to do, Professor. You're not my father." She growled.

"As your professor, I am ordering you to stay here, do you understand? Keep in mind that I can give you detention, and you _will _serve it over the break." He threatened. She glared at him, and scowled.

"Just _try_ and stop me. Anything you throw at me, I'll only outsmart you. I'm going, and there is _nothing _that you can do to stop it." She demanded, rushing for the door. As she set her hand on it, he turned his head.

"Detention for a week, if you even think about opening that door." He began, pointing at her. She turned the handle and opened the door, wide, as though presenting him a challenge.

"Huître, really, you don't want to go back. Think about this!" Blaise tried to get her to see to reason. She ignored him, and stared at Draco. He stared back.

"If you leave this room, you'll be serving detention for the rest of the year. I'm not kidding, either."

She smirked and flipped him the bird, rushing out of the room and to her commons. Draco and Blaise's mouths dropped open. She, _Kathryn Huître_, an almost exact copy of Hermione Granger, had given a teacher the bird and directly disobeyed orders.

"I think she's more stubborn than Nayeli…" Blaise muttered, looking at a still flabbergasted Draco.

* * *

Kathryn, Severus, and Nayeli spent most of the next few days studying for their finals. If it weren't for Kathryn nagging at them each time that they lost focus, (mostly due to missing their mother), they wouldn't have gotten as much studying done as they'd hoped.

Since Kathryn didn't have a mother, she found it very difficult to relate. She kept pressuring them to stay busy, to forget their worries, and to focus on what was really important: the things that they could do to take care of things at home.

Their tedious studying paid off, as they found that they were able to fly through their tests with ease. Draco and Blaise had forgotten about the charms that they normally put up when the twins would take a test to prevent them from sharing answers, and Nayeli and Severus "cheated" a few times.

Draco and Blaise sighed in relief as they saw that their children had passed. Not to their surprise, Kathryn had passed too, with flying colors. Draco frowned, as he knew that the leaving date for those wishing to return home was drawing close.

Draco set down the letter that he'd written, scanning it over a few times, debating heavily on whether he should give detail to Kathryn's detention. He waved his wand and erased the sentence he'd written about her "disobeying orders and refusing to cooperate", fearing that it might get her into serious trouble with the Madame Maddess.

Instead, he requested that she return a week prior to the start of the second term to serve her detention.

He folded it, sealed it, and stuck it in his pocket, heading to the owlery, feeling somewhat… _young_ as he made the seven-story walk. He hadn't been this way in a very long time, it seemed.

He dropped his head as a few students passed him to get to dinner on time, giving him a strange look. He fumbled with the letter, fighting with himself, wondering if he should really go through with this. He shook his head to clear it. He _had _to, he felt.

His stomach sank when he looked back up and saw Kathryn, walking down the steps. They barely caught glances, and she nodded her head slightly. Draco stopped, and turned his head as she passed him.

"Again, I'm highly suggesting that you stay. It will be better for you." He stated again, thankful that they were alone, somewhat. Kathryn stopped on a dime, and turned her head back to him, shaking her head.

"And I'm telling you again, sir… _no_." She growled sternly. He sighed. She really was much more stubborn than his daughter, and it'd probably be the death of her.

He entered the owlery, looking around in nostalgia. Nothing had changed much. He whistled to his owl, who opened a sleepy eye and spread its dark wings and flew to his outstretched arm. Draco took a deep breath and attached the letter to his owl's leg, and walked to the window, sending him off without another word.

He continued to tell himself that he was doing the right thing…

* * *

Kathryn was packing her belongings, and Lily was helping. Nayeli was helping one of the other girls pack away her stuff.

When Lily folded the dress that Kathryn had borrowed for her date the weekend previous, Kathryn smiled.

"Here, you take this. Consider it a Christmas present." Lily insisted, placing it gently in the chest. Kathryn bent over and took it out, setting it on the foot of her bed.

"Thank you, but I'll leave it here. If I take it, someone will be tempted to steal it…" She said, forcing a smile. Lily nodded, her excuse bought.

_You know what would really happen. Madame Maddess would take it from you in a heartbeat. You're not worth it. You don't deserve such pretty things._ Her inner voice hissed at her, angry. True, she really was conflicted, but continued to tell herself that she had to do this, for the children.

She shut her chest with a click, and sealed the contents away with her wand with a spell that she'd learned from Professor Granger. This chest would not open unless it was by her own signature magic, and any attempts at opening it would sting the perpetrator.

Kathryn turned around and sat down on the chest, crossing her arms and giving the room one last look over. She supposed that she was still afraid that she wouldn't be allowed to come back by the school, or that Madame Maddess would refuse her return.

A knock sounded at the door, and Severus and Gary entered, smiling. Kathryn snapped her head in Severus' direction, and smiled. How she would miss seeing his face…

"Hey, ready to go?" He asked, lightheartedly. She slowly nodded, and stood up, casting a zero-gravity spell on her chest. He picked it up and carried it for her. She grabbed her book bag and a few vials of healing potions that she'd smuggled to her room from brewing them in the classroom, including a bezoar stone from the potions storeroom. Draco seemed not to notice, or, if he did, he hadn't figured out who'd taken it.

She slung her back over her shoulder, and cast a zero-gravity spell on it as well, relieved that she was able to stand up straight.

She walked side by side with Nayeli and Severus, who were going to see her off. They'd agreed to take the train to the station, and then floo back to Hogwarts from the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley.

Draco, Jeffrey, and Blaise were already at the loading station. Jeffrey bounded up to Kathryn and gave her a hug. Kathryn smiled and hugged him back.

"I'll miss you, Kathryn!" He chirped. She chuckled, and nodded her head.

"I'll miss you too, Jeffrey. Take care, ok?" She asked. Jeffrey nodded and backed away.

As Draco and Blaise watched their kids say goodbye, they couldn't help the feeling that something was bound to go wrong this time around.

"Did you ever get an answer from the Mad-wom… err… Madame?" Blaise began, slightly joking with her name. Draco shook his head no.

"Never. And, that's what scares me. I was thinking about sending Severus and Nayeli to check on her every so often. I don't care if she hates us for it." He muttered, still bitter about the fact.

Blaise set his hand on Draco's shoulder in comfort. Draco relaxed, but only slightly.

"She's convinced that she's doing the right thing. She's a lot like Sheeva in a way, don't you think? A lot like Nayeli, too. Everything will be fine. I'm… sure of it." Blaise muttered, silencing as the three students began to walk back to them. Draco scowled slightly.

_You sure as hell don't sound convinced._ He thought.

He hugged Severus and Nayeli goodbye, and gave a slight nod to Kathryn. The train whistled, and they all turned to stare at it. Blaise, Draco, and Kathryn stared at the train in dread. Severus and Nayeli stared at the train in sadness. They'd miss their friend, even if she'd only be gone for four weeks.

Kathryn took the first step away, trying to prepare herself. She found the first empty room she could, slid open the door, and stepped inside. She sat down by the window, Severus sat down beside her, and Nayeli sat down across from the two.

She was silent for a majority of the trip, only moving to lean against Severus, basking in the warmth and security he provided, trying to burn it into her memory, into her skin. Her stomach was tightening itself, and she fought to keep from trembling.

"Write to us, promise you will?" Nayeli stated. She looked at her best friend, and forced a smile.

"As often as I can, you know that, Nayeli." She reassured her friend. Nayeli smiled, and dug something from her pocket. It was a small red string bracelet, and she grabbed Kathryn's wrist and slipped it on.

"I made this for you, so that you don't miss us quite so badly." She smiled. Kathryn smiled too, and grabbed Nayeli's hand before she could pull it away.

"Thank you, very much, Nayeli." She whispered, trying to resist the cracking of her voice. Nayeli sniffled, and wiped away a tear teasingly.

"You'll make me cry!" She stated, turning her head away dramatically. Kathryn laughed. She would really miss this, far too much. She rested her head against Severus' chest and closed her eyes, trying to get as much sleep as she could, knowing that this moment of peace would be the last for a while.

* * *

Kathryn shivered, alone in the small closet. It was mostly dark; a small sliver of light shone through a hole in the wall that the Madame had put there in a fit of rage.

Austin, one of the older orphans, had her wand, potions, and bezoar stone tucked away inside of his mattress for safe-keeping. It was one of the few things that she'd managed to smuggle out of her book bag without the Madame's notice. To the best of their knowledge, she had no idea about Kathryn's wand.

The other children were happy to see Kathryn, running up to her with wide smiles on their small faces, pale and thin. She almost cried out in anguish at the sight, knowing that, even if they'd get better treatment while she was here, they'd be reduced to this again soon after her leave. Austin and another older orphan, Eliza, were leaning against the wall, scowling at her. They had told her to stay at the school during the breaks, and still, she returned, as though she had a masochistic death wish.

The light from the hole in the wall dimmed as someone peered through it.

"Hey. Wake up. I have something for you. I snuck it from the dinner table."

Kathryn tapped the door lightly to show that yes, she was awake.

The light disappeared completely as the person outside jammed something wrapped in a napkin through the hole. The dry wall cracked and crumbled in some places, but after a few soft pushes, the gift popped out through the other side and fell on Kathryn's head, falling somewhere on the floor.

She felt around for it in the darkness. As she picked it up, she unwrapped it hastily. It was a wheat roll, roughly the size of a tennis ball. She smiled and bit into it hungrily, barely chewing as she swallowed it, her stomach rumbling in content as the small foodstuffs entered it.

She'd been locked in this closet shortly after her arrival when the Madame, drunk, attempted to punish a child for not getting her chores done on time. Kathryn had stepped in, taking the beating for her. Kathryn didn't have to be able to see herself to know that she had a bruise on her rib cage—she could feel it at each breath that she took.

The Madame seemed to take better care of her than usual, allowing her to be let out to use the toilet every day and eat every other day. The food she'd been getting wasn't as filling as the wheat roll. Watered down, soggy oatmeal with the consistency of vomit. Still, it was foodstuffs, and Kathryn knew better than to complain.

The walls shook as thundering footsteps could be felt, and Kathryn hastily swallowed her mouthful, her esophagus hurting slightly as it tried to stretch for the poorly chewed lump. She wrapped the remains of the bread and shoved it in a rat hole along the base line of the floor. As she heard the chain rattle and the lock break, she braced herself.

She jumped as the door opened, and the Madame reached down and grabbed a tuft of Kathryn's hair, jerking her to her feet.

Kathryn winced, but forced herself to remember the pain she'd experienced from the Cruciatus Curse. This pain really _was _nothing, compared to that.

The Madame dragged her out of the room and down the hallway to the showers.

"Someone was here to see you. Told him you were away. Said his name was Severus... something. I told him to return tomorrow." She hissed, explaining her taking Kathryn out of her prison off-schedule. She shoved Kathryn into the showers, and Kathryn wasted no time in stripping, still used to the routine.

Kathryn didn't wait for the water to heat, and quickly washed away the dirt and grimed from her body, hoping that the Madame didn't notice the small chunks of drywall in her hair. She grabbed the shampoo and conditioner and mixed the two, washing her curly brown hair.

She washed her body with the shampoo that washed off of her hair, trying to make sure that she got the most important parts. She inwardly smiled as she saw that there was a razor waiting for her. Even if it was a three-blade, one was better than none. She shaved her legs and armpits hastily, trying not to wince as the blade cut her shin.

She shut off the water just as it started to warm up, fearing that she'd taken too much time. The Madame didn't seem to notice, and Kathryn began to wonder how many drinks she'd had by this time.

She hastily dried herself with the towel that was hanging on the wall, and put her dirty clothes back on, much as she didn't want to. They only defeated the purpose of showering.

She was whisked out of the bathroom by her wrist, and thrown into a chair at a table with a bounty of food. She figured that it was the Madame's portion. She stared at it, slightly confused. She tried not to give the woman a skeptical look, and forced her eyes down at an empty plate before her.

"Eat. You're going to appear well _if_ you are to see this… Severus, is that clear?" She commanded. Kathryn noticed the emphasis, and squinted, wondering if the food was poisoned.

"Yes ma'am. Thank you, ma'am." She said robotically, taking a slice of turkey and a wheat roll, roughly the same size as the oatmeal that she usually ate, wondering just how much she could get away with. The Madame sat down as well, dishing herself a portion fit for two.

"So, this Severus. You are schoolmates?" The woman began, staring at her while she ate. Kathryn slowly nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am." She admitted, trying not to look in the woman's eyes. She couldn't look at her heavily caked make-up face, or the long, thin, horse-teeth, or the striking pink lipstick, otherwise she'd lose her appetite, something that she couldn't afford at the moment.

"He is my Potions partner, Ma'am." She replied, stuffing another bite of turkey. She glanced down. She'd finished her plate. Forcing herself to look up at the woman, she cast a questioning look, glancing at the food. The woman slowly nodded, giving her permission to eat more. She gladly helped herself, dishing about the same portion as last time, despite being ravenously hungry.

The conversation that the woman made greatly unnerved her, and she wondered how long it would last.

"Potions… bloody bullshit." She scoffed, insulting Kathryn. Kathryn didn't retort, and shoved another bite in her mouth. The Madame downed a glass of red wine, and only then did Kathryn notice that there was a glass of water at her plate. She let it wait, saving it until later. Food, _solid_ food was what she really needed to focus on getting right now.

"This Severus, are you attracted to him?" She asked. Kathryn paused slightly, fearing that the woman noticed, as she was still watching her like a hawk. Kathryn forced herself to shake her head no as her brain tried to calculate what she would do if Kathryn admitted that she cared for Severus.

"No, ma'am. He annoys me. He pines for me like a lost puppy." She lied, her chest hurting with the words she spoke. She swallowed a large bite to help loosen the knot of fear.

"These students, they are good to you?" She asked. Kathryn forced her hands to stay still while they held the knife and fork.

"I am an outcast. I am a half-blood… know-it-all." She forced herself to say, remembering Draco's description of her on the first day of school. The woman sneered at her over her glass of wine.

"This Severus boy, he seems taken with you, though. I can't see why. He must find you attractive… despite your pathetic self." The woman jeered. The words hurt, and Kathryn began to find herself wondering the same. Why _would _Severus care for her? She could hardly take care of herself, let alone fend off bullies at school.

"I admit, ma'am, I wonder the same. But, I don't deserve him. He deserves someone better than a… filthy mudblood." She mumbled, cutting herself down, partly for show, and partly because she began to feel that it was true. She began to drown in shame and sorrow, finding that she'd lost her appetite.

The Madame gave Kathryn a terrifying, toothy, malicious grin, which only meant that the evil gears in her head were spinning. Kathryn began to shiver slightly.

"A mudblood, huh? That'll be a new one to add to the board." She taunted. Kathryn forced herself to stop shivering and kept eating. She needed to keep her strength up.

She watched as the Madame downed another glass of wine, and found herself wishing, hoping, that the woman would forget the idea, but squished it. If she got her hopes up, she'd only let herself down. Most likely, she'd carve the message in before Kathryn left for school.

The woman snapped her fingers, an expression of remembering something on her face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter. As Kathryn saw it, she recognized the seal of Hogwarts on the back of the envelope in wax, and to further terrify her, she saw it'd been _broken_.

"I received this a few days ago from one of your Professors at that bullshit school. A… Professor Draco Zabini-Malfoy." She drawled, scanning the letter for the name. Kathryn's eyes widened. _That's_ where he'd been going the evening before she left. Had she known, she'd have tried to stop him. Her heart sank and her stomach churned in fear.

"He tells me that you've been assigned detention, and that you are to return early to serve it." She said with a sickeningly sweet (toxic to Kathryn's ears) voice, her eyes flashing.

Kathryn forced a nod.

"Yes, ma'am. I forgot, ma'am." She lied, hoping to God that Draco had not given her details about why he'd assigned her detention. The Madame set the letter down and refilled her glass and downed it. Her third from what Kathryn had seen. From here, it was a coaster ride to hell for the remainder of the evening. She stole a glance at the clock on the wall behind the Madame. It was only eight-thirty.

"What did you do?" She asked.

Kathryn's mind exploded with a billion lies, and before she could have a moment of hesitation, she forced the clearest lie to her lips.

"I blew up the potions classroom." She said, forcing another bite to her mouth. The Madame began to laugh. An evil, sick, twisted laugh. It echoed off of the empty room.

"And he assigned you a month of detention?" She asked incredulously. Kathryn slowly nodded, not realizing that he'd assigned that much. It must have been after she walked out the door. To be honest, she couldn't remember.

She also wasn't sure if the tone of voice the Madame had was because she didn't believe her lie (the worst possibility at this point) or if it was because she was pleased with the fact that Kathryn had received a month of detention for something so minuscule (which she hoped was the case).

"Professor hates children, but most of all, he hates mudbloods. If he could, he'd have me hanging by my wrists in the dungeons." She lied. The Madame laughed out of amusement.

"A man after my own heart." She chortled. Kathryn bit her tongue.

_He is nothing like you, you sadistic bitch._

The woman stood and took her napkin off of her lap and set it on the plate, finishing another glass of red wine.

"You haven't finished your water, Kathryn." The woman stated, and at that point, Kathryn's suspicions were confirmed. She'd definitely poisoned it.

However, not wanting to cause trouble, Kathryn downed the remains of her water and shoveled the rest of the roll in her mouth, swallowing it down dryly. The woman grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the room, throwing her in the closet and locking the door, slamming the door to the room behind her and locking it, too.

Kathryn's feet began to go numb, and she tapped immediately on the door, hoping that one of the children would hear it. A few seconds later, a tap sounded on the door, and Kathryn's heart lifted.

"Tell Austin to get me the bezoar stone, and quickly!" She hissed.

She listened, and tried to remain calm to slow the distribution of whatever poison had been in the water to the rest of her body. She felt her hands and feet go cold, and her legs wouldn't move when she tried to sit up.

The room darkened as someone jammed the stone through the window, and the stone clattered to the floor. Not caring if the Madame had heard it, she fished around for it as well. When she found it, she tried to pick it up, but her hands wouldn't listen.

She leaned down and opened her mouth, but her body fell numb, and she lolled her head against the ground.

_No, no, no!_ She thought, sticking out her tongue. She maneuvered the stone against the curb of the wall and somehow shoved it in her mouth, breathing heavily as she collapsed, her body worn out from fighting.

She felt a warm sensation through her body, and then a chilling cold as she felt as though something were being pulled out of every cell in her body. The stone she had in her mouth felt like it was on fire, but she kept it there anyway, feeling that it would be over in a matter of seconds.

She sat up and spat the stone out with a 'pop', catching it in her hand. Relieved, she lied back against the wall, panting slightly. She lifted a weary arm and wiped away the sweat from her forehead, let her head fall back, and stuck the stone in her pocket. She'd smuggle it out when she woke in the morning.

Kathryn fell asleep with a smile on her face. Yet again, Death had tried to take her, and she'd bested the bastard…

* * *

Well... There it is.

Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it didn't freak you out too badly.

Again, please review!


	11. Chapter 11

I have nothing to say, really, other than enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Kathryn opened her eyes as there was a tap on the door, and turned her head towards the faint sound. She forced herself to sit up, and her muscles ached as she did so. She guess that maybe the poison had still had some effect on her body. She felt the stone in her pocket, and hastily stood, digging it out and shoving it through the hole in the wall. She fell back to her knees, dizzy from her quick actions.

"Hide that, quickly, before she sees it!" She hissed, lifting her shirt and checking the bruise on the side of her chest. It was a sickly blue—a vein had contused. She contemplated drinking one of her emergency potions, and then shook her head. She'd save it for something a little more severe than a bruised rib.

The walls shook as the Madame stormed through the house, throwing open the door and then rushing to the closet, unlocking the chains and locks bolted to the door.

She threw open the door, and instead of reaching for Kathryn, allowed her to stand and walk out of the closet. She blinked as she stepped into the sun, and sighed out of relief. The sun's rays felt amazing on her skin, and she caught Austin's eye and slightly nodded, trying not to smile.

She turned around, and saw the somewhat shocked expression on Madame Maddess' face, and held back a smirk. Surely, she must have expected her to be unable to walk, or possibly even be dead.

The Madame shut the closet door and stepped out into the hallway, returning a few moments later with a change of clean clothes. She led Kathryn to the showers once more, and stood outside the door, a frown on her face. Kathryn turned her back to the woman, and smirked.

_I've outsmarted you again, woman._ She thought vindictively as she showered quickly, cleaning her hair once more. She dried herself and donned the clothes set on a stool for her: a grey t-shirt, a pink hoodie, and jeans. The t-shirt was baggy, as was the hoodie, and the jeans were a size too big. She slipped on the pair of socks and the white tennis shoes.

"Your friend Severus is here. Severus… Zabini-Malfoy." The Madame said. Kathryn held her head high.

"I see." Kathryn said, walking down the hallway to the lobby. The Madame followed shortly behind, scowling. Kathryn could tell that she was trying to figure out _how_ Kathryn was able to walk at this moment.

"You didn't reveal to me that he was the Professor's son." The Madame growled. In that, Kathryn knew that she'd probably be "punished" for this offense, too.

As she stepped into the lobby, she paused, and looked back at the Madame.

"I didn't think it necessary, ma'am. What does it matter? I am but an outcast." She growled. The Madame didn't catch the look of utter hatred Kathryn sent her.

Severus stood happily, and greeted her. She sent him a warning look, mouthing: _Don't hug me._ He stopped, and tried to keep the smile on his face.

"Good to see you, Zabini-Malfoy." She said, nodding her head politely. She turned back to the Madame.

"What time do you want me back, ma'am?" She asked. The Madame checked her watch. It was noon.

"Six o'clock sharp. I need you to help prepare dinner. Do _not _be late." She growled, crossing her arms, sending her a glare. Severus cringed, slightly intimidated. Kathryn stared back at her, a deeper understanding from that icy glare. _Or else_ was silently, yet obviously, implied.

"Yes, ma'am." She acknowledged, turning on her heel and walking out of the door.

"Kathryn, where are you going? Nayeli isn't this way!" Severus questioned. She continued walking.

"Shh. Not yet. She might be listening. Might be watching." She growled, turning the corner. As soon as they'd passed a few houses, she slowed, panting slightly. Her knees felt wobbly, and she fought to stand. She tried to sit down on a bench gracefully, but her knees gave way and she plopped down onto it.

Severus was confused, as well as worried.

"Are you _ok_? No offense, but you look like hell! Are they treating you right?" He questioned.

"I'm just happy to be out of there, is all. Where's Nayeli?" She asked, looking around, eager to see her other best friend.

_Nayeli, we'll be there in a bit._ He thought to his sister.

"Do you want me to carry you?" He offered, smiling slightly. She looked up at him, and blushed, shaking her head. She was eager to stretch her legs after having been locked in the closet for a week. He held out his hand for her, and she took it gladly.

She leaned against him somewhat as they walked around the block behind the orphanage. Severus led her to the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, a sight for sore eyes. Upon seeing Nayeli, she grinned. They hugged each other tightly, and she fought to keep a straight face as her rib hurt where Nayeli squeezed it.

"I'm so happy to see you!" She squealed. She then looked up and looked around, scanning the place for Draco and Blaise. To her dismay, they were there, sitting at the bar and having a drink.

She gave them a stern look and slightly nodded her head in greeting. Draco only nodded back and turned to his drink, taking another sip.

"She looks worse." He muttered to Blaise.

"That she does, mate… I wonder if the woman got the letter that you sent?" He asked. Draco shrugged.

"I intend to ask her." He hissed back. Blaise quirked an eyebrow.

Nayeli and Severus sat down at a table, Kathryn between them. Kathryn smiled, trying not to think of her circumstances the last week.

"How are things at school?" She asked. Nayeli and Severus exchanged glances.

"Nothing… new." Severus muttered. Nayeli sighed.

"The library's still cut off and mom's not back yet." She explained. Kathryn nodded. She figured that Sheeva's errand would take more than a few days. She folded her hands and set them in her lap.

"I have detention with Professor Malfoy when I get back." She announced, figuring she'd tell them now, rather than them finding out.

"What?" Severus and Nayeli said in unison, looking at her. Draco and Blaise looked up from their lunchtime drinks, and over at the table that their children and Kathryn were sitting at. Severus and Nayeli looked at Draco, and then back at her, and began to laugh.

"What the hell did you do, Kathryn?" Nayeli asked. Kathryn smirked.

"I flipped him the bird, and left when he tried to tell me to stay for the holiday." She admitted. Severus smirked, and glanced back at his father. The smirk wiped off his face as their fathers stood and strode over to them, their arms crossed.

"I assume you told them about your detention?" Draco asked. Kathryn looked up at him and nodded.

"Yes, sir. They'd figure it out eventually." She explained. Draco nodded, and pulled up a chair.

"Are you guys hungry? I'm starving. What took you so long?" He asked. Kathryn gripped the hem of her shirt.

"It just felt good to walk around. Been cooped up in the orphanage." She said passively. They all gave her a look, and she looked back at them, trying to remain casual. Severus shook his head. From the way she'd collapsed, there was definitely something wrong. He'd ask her about it when they had time alone… If they had time alone.

Severus scooted closer to Kathryn to allow his fathers to move in closer to the table as the bartender asked them for their orders. Kathryn looked at Nayeli and Severus, nervous. She'd never been here before, and she didn't know what to get.

"Um…. A turkey sandwich? Please?" She asked. The little voice in her head rang up, chiding her. She didn't notice that Draco had asked the waiter for something under his breath, slipping him a potion by sleight of hand.

Kathryn was so focused on her thoughts, as she felt that she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any of this…

She shook her head at the thoughts, and looked back at them.

"When do we go back?" She found herself asking, eager to return.

"January 10. Well, you'll be going back on the third." Draco stated. At this, Severus and Nayeli smiled. It was a two-win, for all of them. They could see her, and get her the hell out of the orphanage. Kathryn nodded.

"I'm sorry, about that, Professor. I was… mad." She whispered in a slight daze. Draco nodded slightly.

"Still doesn't change the fact that you did it." He muttered, taking a sip of his drink. When the waiter brought them some water, Nayeli, and Severus downed their glasses immediately, parched. Kathryn only stared at her glass, remembering the events from last night.

She shook her head to clear it. Silly of her, of course it wouldn't be _poisoned_. It was water, from a restaurant. Not an evil woman. She reached out and took a drink. Finding that she was thirstier than she thought, she downed it.

Draco inwardly sighed, as he'd noticed her hesitation. Now, all they had to do was wait an hour.

Kathryn licked her lips, relieved at the feeling of cool, crisp, refreshing water.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Nayeli asked. Kathryn put a finger to her lips, deep in thought.

"I'll probably be helping around the orphanage, as always." She answered. Nayeli laughed.

"Really? Even on Christmas Eve, you have to work?" She asked. Kathryn snapped her head up and looked at her, wide-eyed.

"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve?" She asked, shocked, then cringed. If they weren't suspicious before, they'd really be suspicious now. Severus chuckled at her reaction.

"Yeah, didn't you know?" He asked, taking her hand. She giggled nervously, and facepalmed.

"Sorry, I guess it just snuck up on me!" She dismissed.

"I wanted to take you shopping. Get you something for Christmas, other than your… bracelet. Where is it?" She asked, reaching for her arm to pull up her sleeve. Kathryn jerked her hand away somewhat violently, again raising suspicion.

"I hid it in my bag. Someone might steal it." She explained. Her inner voice ate away at her again. In truth, the Madame would probably take it from her and demolish it in front of her eyes.

Draco checked the time by casting a tempus charm underneath the table. The potion still had 45 minutes to go, and he hoped it'd kick in before she panicked and ran.

Blaise had seen the time. He grabbed the handle of his wand from beneath his sleeve, and held on to it, ready to use it if she tried to run. Not that she'd get far.

"What time is it?" She asked, curious and nervous, trying to figure out how long it'd take her to get back to the orphanage and be on time.

"It's about 230." Draco answered. She gave him a look, a feeling in her stomach that he was up to something. She studied his face, and saw his eyes smirking at her slightly, and then looked fearfully at the glass of water.

Her eyes snapped back to his icy grey stare, and she glared at him.

"What did you do, Professor?" She hissed.

"Give it about 45 more minutes, you'll figure it out. We should probably move, somewhere a little more private." He announced. Nayeli and Severus nodded, and stood. Severus held out her hand for him to take, and she refused, still glaring at the potions professor.

"What the hell did you do to me, Professor? I hope to God you have a bezoar stone with you! I already had to use mine!" She hissed. He blinked, and stared at her, quirking an eyebrow. He was also slightly amused. She scowled, and shut her mouth.

"So you're the one who took the bezoar stone? What do you mean, used it?" He asked, wondering if her admittance was of her own will or due to the potion.

"Yeah, I took it. I knew I'd need it. Had to use the damn thing last night!" She spat, and then clapped her hands to her mouth.

"Veritaserum? This… this is illegal!" She hissed, standing up to leave. As she took a step, Blaise swiftly cast a leg-binding jinx on her and she fell forward as her legs locked up. Severus and Nayeli caught her, and she fought them, frustrated.

They pulled her into a room and sat her down in a chair at a table, filing into the room, locking and muting the room after they were all inside.

"What did she do?" Draco asked. Kathryn clenched her jaw shut, growling, trying to endure the agonizing pain it brought her. Giving in to the pain and against her will, Kathryn spilled the truth, her face turning red with anger and embarrassment.

"Poisoned my water. I might have been either paralyzed or dead if Austin hadn't gotten me the bezoar I stole. Goddamn you, Professor!" She blurted, looking down in shame.

"She took you out of the closet?! How long were you in it?" Severus barked, his eyes wide and red with rage. She slowly nodded.

"I've been in it for the last week." She whispered.

"Why?" Nayeli asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Because- She gritted her teeth, and then let out a feral yell as she couldn't resist any longer. -I took the beating of another girl! Oh, I _hate_ you!" She spat at the professor, lunging for him. He waved his wand and tied her arms to the chair, restraining her. She seethed in anger at him. He stared calmly back.

"I hope to god this shit wears off before I go back. I'll spill everything, and she'll fucking kill me. You've sent me to my death! Done in by a bloody fucking truth potion!" She hissed angrily. The inhabitants in the room were happy that the youngest wasn't among them, otherwise he'd probably hear every curse word in the book. They knew it was the effects of the potion and her rage that had caused her to swear like a sailor, but it still scared them.

"What else has she done? What else will she do?" Blaise asked, standing behind Nayeli, arms crossed. She lolled her head to him, glaring at him too.

"She kicked me, hard. I've had broken bones. Pulled my hair, starved me. My ribs are bruised. Denied me permission to use to bathroom. Nothing I'm not already used to." She hissed, tears streaming down her face. Severus put his hands on her shoulders and she flinched so violently that he immediately raised his hands off of her.

"Did she get my letter?" Draco asked. Her rage found a new outlet.

"YES, SHE GOT YOU STUPID LETTER! I had to tell her that you hate kids, most of all mudbloods like me! You know what she said to that?" She barked, fighting her restraints again. She was yelling so much that her throat hurt. Draco stared at her, and slowly shook his head no.

She began to cry.

"She…" She hiccoughed. "A 'mudblood', huh? That's a new one to add to your board."

Blaise blinked, and his mouth dropped open. His stomach tightened.

"Board? What board?" Severus asked, looking at her sternly.

Kathryn looked at Draco, tears in her eyes. She didn't want to show Severus. She didn't think that she ever could, but now, she was being forced to.

"Release the blasted thing so I can show him!" She commanded. Draco shook his head no.

"That's not a good—

-really, Professor? Every question you throw at me, I have to answer. If you ask me to show you something, I have to do it! That's the way this stupid potion works! You know that, dammit! Now let me go, because my arms are on fire!" She yelled at him, her voice going hoarse. Nayeli poured her some water and lifted it to give her some. Kathryn turned her head away.

"I'm not drinking that. I don't fucking trust you anymore!" She hissed, her throat raw.

"I have to degrade myself to this woman in order to survive! I have to deny feelings towards my friends, towards people I love, because I'm a nothing! I don't deserve kindness, I don't deserve friends! I don't deserve any of this! I deserve to be kicked around, because it's all I'm ever good for!" Kathryn continued, breaking into tears as she began to calm down from her fury.

Nayeli slammed her hand down on the table.

"That's not true, Kathryn! You're so smart! You're so strong, look at you!" She yelled, trying to get her to see to reason. Kathryn didn't look at her.

"You don't understand. You've had family. You've had people that love you. That care for you. Me? I'm still trying to figure out what the hell you see in me, Nayeli. And Severus? I can only hope that you even _like_ me. I'm not even worth it. I don't deserve it." She said, her voice coming out in a raspy whisper.

"Don't say that, Kathryn." He pleaded with her. She coughed, and swallowed the stuff in the back of her throat, tasting blood.

"I wouldn't have let you go if I knew. I didn't like the idea of you going in the first place, but I would have never let you leave if I knew." He said, taking her face in his hands and wiping her eyes with a napkin. She stared at him tiredly, and sighed. The clock struck 3, and she looked at it. It was 330.

"You've gotta let me go. Please! If I'm not back there by six…" She started, then trailed off, biting her tongue hard. She tasted blood and grimaced.

"You're not going back. Never again. We're grabbing your belongings, and we're taking you back to Hogwarts." Nayeli growled.

At this, Kathryn silenced, and stared at the table. Due to her empty stomach and high metabolism, the potion had run through her system faster than it should have. Kathryn's throat was dry, and her eyes were puffy from her cry. They drooped, exhausted from her resistance.

She sighed, and stared at her knees, avoiding the other people's gazes.

"Where is your stuff?" Severus asked, setting a hand on her shoulder again. She didn't answer. She was thinking heavily. Her stomach turned at the thought she had, and she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and looked up, turning her head in his direction.

"Take me with you when you go. I want to say goodbye to the others." She asked. To her dismay, Draco and Nayeli protested. She scowled back at them.

"I'll be safe with you there with me." She added. Severus smiled a little. She was beginning to see to reason. When they denied her again, she sighed, and stared at the waterglass on the table.

"Can I drink my water now?" She asked, trying to show them, as well as herself that she trusted them still. Draco nodded and dispelled the binding spell, and she sighed thankfully, rubbing her tender arm lightly, wincing as she pressed on the bruise a little too hard. She grabbed the glass and downed it, thankful for the cold water.

She cast a glance at Draco.

"You didn't put anything else in it, did you?" She asked, cracking a small joke. Draco chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm not that mean. Geeze." He replied. Kathryn nodded.

"Please let me go with you. I have to. It… could be the last time I see them. No… it will be." She muttered sadly, trying to suppress the dark intent she felt. If they could see the saddness in her eyes, they'd be able to see her subliminal intents as well.

"Fine. You go there, grab your stuff, and come back. Ten minutes." Blaise said sternly. She looked at him and nodded, smirking inwardly. She forced herself to stand, leaning on her arms heavily on the table. Her fit had drained her.

"Give yourself a break. Eat. Drink. It's only four. You have two hours." Nayeli begged. Kathryn nodded, and refilled her glass, drinking more water. Her knees wobbled, but she stood fast. The last thing that she wanted to do at this moment was sit.

She coughed again, and grimaced, the pain on the side of her rib hurting even more prominently. She couldn't ignore it. She sighed, and looked up at Draco.

"I also smuggled some healing potions in my bag too… Might as well tell you now." She admitted. Draco nodded at another realization. That's where his spare vials had gone.

"How'd you get placed in Gryffindor, again? You're way too sneaky." Nayeli asked, smirking. Kathryn chuckled, and shook her head.

"I still wonder why." She admitted solemnly. A knock sounded at the door, and the bartender stepped in, carrying their orders. Kathryn tried to resist scarfing down her food like an animal. Dismayed, she found that she was only able to finish half of the sandwich, and wrapped the rest of it in a napkin and held on to it for later.

Nayeli gave her a look, confused.

"You're not going to finish it?" She asked. Kathryn looked at her, and shook her head sadly.

"I may be hungry, but my stomach can't handle much more than this. When you only eat a little bit, you get used to eating _only_ a little bit. You have to work your way up to bigger portions. If I were to force myself to eat this whole thing, my stomach would probably rupture, not used to being stretched for so long." She explained. Nayeli stared at her in shock.

"How often did you…" She trailed off, not wanting to say the last few words. Kathryn sighed.

"See that glass there? Imagine a bowl of watered down oatmeal, roughly the size of it. Every other day. Maybe two days between. If it weren't for the children, I'd have probably starved to death. They would sneak me food through a hole in the wall."

Draco looked at the clock. It was well after five. He was slightly shocked that she still seemed to be telling the truth with much less resistance.

"Are you still feeling the effects of the potion?" He asked. Kathryn shook her head.

"No. That was over for me almost an hour ago." Kathryn looked at the clock, and took a deep breath.

"We should go. I don't want her taking her rage out on another kid because I wasn't there on time." She stated, heading for the door. Draco stopped her, and grabbed Severus, apparating to the front door. She froze, staring at it, wondering if she could go through with this.

Blaise and Nayeli popped into existence next to them. Nayeli and Severus took her hands in theirs, and together, they walked to the front door.

Eliza looked up, and sighed, relieved. She then glared as the others entered the house, looking around. The lobby looked well kept for, but if Kathryn had mentioned a hole in the wall, they could olny imagine what the rest of the house looked like.

"At least you're early this time. Hurry up and get them out of here, before she shows up!" She hissed. Kathryn shook her head, and walked to the main bedroom, Severus and Nayeli walking close behind. She reached into Severus's pocket and took out his wand, confidently calling out "Alohamora".

"Kathryn, what are you _doing_? You can't use magic in front of muggles! The ministry will—

-let them see. Let them come. When they see this place, she'll never be allowed to hurt these kids, ever again. Or so help me…" She hissed darkly, striding over to Austin's bed, turning over the mattress, retrieving her wand, potions, and bezoar stone. She looked around, searching for the owner of the bed.

"Where's Austin?" She asked. One of the children, around eight or nine, took her hand.

"He's in the closet. She punished him and threw him in there after you left." The little girl answered. Kathryn walked up to the closet, and leaned her ear against it. She could hear shallow, labored breathing and small whimpers of pain.

"Austin, back away from the door. I'm letting you out of here." She ordered. Austin backed against the wall.

"No you're not. You're not getting into trouble for this! No way!" He spat back at her, speech slurred.

She ignored him, and pointed her wand at the locks, unlocking them with the alohomora spell. When the chain didn't budge, she growled, and shouted out 'bombarda'. The chain split into two, and rattled as it fell away from the door.

She bent down to pick him up, and draped his arm around her shoulders as she tried to get him to stand. Being almost twice her size, she couldn't.

"Here, Kathryn, let me." Severus offered, picking the boy up and carrying him to an unoccupied bed. Gently he set the boy down in it, and stared, wide eyed and terrified at his saw the kid's condition.

He'd been beaten to a pulp, bite marks on his arms and the start of a black eye. Dried blood caked his nose and lips, and his breathing was ragged and raspy. He groaned as he staggered his breathing, as it hurt to inhale and exhale. Kathryn unstoppered one of the potions, and held it to his lips.

"Drink this, it will help you. What happened?" She asked.

"I… tried to get help." He muttered weakly.

They jumped as the door burst open, and Nayeli, Severus, and Kathryn turned, pointing their wands at the figures emerging from the door. They relaxed as they saw that it was just Draco and Blaise.

"What are you doing? You can't use magic in front of a muggle!" They reprimanded them. Kathryn scowled at him.

"I don't care. He needs help." She hissed.

"What... who are _you_?" The Madame barked as she entered the room. The children in the room cowered and ran behind Kathryn, hiding behind her for safety. The Madame froze, and went to take a step forward, but Kathryn pointed her wand at her.

"Take one more step, and I'll _kill _you." She growled menacingly. Draco and Blaise began to protest.

"Kathryn, think about this. You do that, you're done for. Expelled."

She shook her head.

"There are laws defining the rightful use of magic in front of muggles. If one's life is threatened, by all means, they should have a right to use it. If not my life, then the lives of these children are at stake. Besides, I'd rather go to Azkaban knowing that these children are safe, then go back to Hogwarts knowing that they're being tortured." She hissed.

The Madame was frozen to her place as though her feet were rooted to the ground. Her thoughts were on pause, terrified at the fact that she was being held at what seemed to be gunpoint.

"I'm sorry—She began to say, but was silenced with a flick of Kathryn's wand as she hit her with a muting spell.

"No you're not! Don't even begin to feed me that bullshit!" She schreeched, advancing a few steps, holding her wand next to the woman's head. The woman screamed and whimpered in terror, and Kathryn began to laugh, energy and power pulsing through her veins. Finally, after _years_ of fear, years of torture, she had the upper hand.

"Kathryn, wait!" Severus barked. She turned her head back to him, and sneered.

"No, Severus. I'm tired of this. Tired of living in fear. I'll rest when she's dead!" She spat, glaring at the woman who was now sobbing in her hands, trembling at her feet. Kathryn reared back her foot and kicked the woman, hard, in the side of her chest. The thickness of her skin and fat only cushioned the blow, and Kathryn scowled. It wasn't good enough. She smirked and grinned menacingly as she raised her wand.

She had the perfect spell. It'd only been used on her a few times, but she couldn't resist wanting to use it on the horrid tyrant beneath her.

"Crucio." She hissed. The woman screamed bloody murder, writhing in pain on the floor. Kathryn kept it going for a good few minutes, releasing it when she felt satisfied.

She was lost now, unaware of the situation around her. The children were cowering behind the strangers, and even they were trembling slightly.

"Do you like this, Madame? Imagine, this is what you put me through. Years of it. And now, I can punish you, with years of pain, and make it last seconds. Minutes. Hell, I could have you under this for _hours_, and it still wouldn't amount to the shit you did." She growled, kicking the Madame in the stomach, shaking with power and fury. The Madame looked up, her eyes wide terrified as Kathryn raised her hand, ready to strike again.

"Stupefy!" Nayeli shouted, shooting Kathryn in the back with a beam of red light. Kathryn dropped her wand, and slumped down to her knees, then fell over to the side, fully paralyzed and stunned. Nayeli recovered Kathryn's wand and tossed it to her brother, who picked it up and pocketed it.

She then dragged Kathryn away from the woman, who was still cowering against the wall. Eliza snatched Blaise's wand out of his hand, and pointed it at the Madame.

"In the closet!" She ordered. The woman stared at her in fear.

"You can't use that! You don't have the ability, stupid girl!" The woman barked. Eliza raised the wand, scowling, and the woman trembled, trying to run for the door. A group of preteens blocked her escape.

"Y-yes, I can! Auntie taught me!" Eliza lied, pointing it at her again. The lights flickered in a moment of weak power, and the children in the room screamed. Draco smirked. Perfect timing.

The woman screamed and rushed into the closet. The group pounced on the door and locked it quickly, cheering for themselves as well as for Eliza and "Auntie Kathryn".

Eliza walked up to Blaise, and handed him his wand, muttering an apology. She then looked at Kathryn, still unconscious.

"Will she be alright?" Eliza asked, concerned. Draco nodded.

"She's just knocked out, that's all."

They heard a cough behind them, and turned around. Austin had sat up, cradling a broken arm. Eliza walked over to him and took his hand.

"Are you ok, Austin?" She asked. He slowly nodded.

"It's not the worst… Will Kathryn go to jail? Will there be a trial? We'll testify. Eliza and I both! We… we all will! They can't take her away, she was trying to protect us! She was always trying to protect us!" He began, starting to cry in fear. Draco shook his head.

"We're going to testify too. I think we've gotten enough evidence to put this woman away, and maybe even clear the charges. The most she'll have is detention for her… delightful vocabulary." He chuckled. Eliza and Austin breathed a sigh of relief. Blaise pointed his wand at Austin's broken arm and muttered a healing spell.

Austin groaned as the bone shifted and mended itself.

"That should help." He stated. Austin rubbed his arm and wiggled his fingers, surprised that it didn't hurt anymore.

"Thank you, sir. Tell her… Tell her I'm sorry, for making fun of her. For being so mean when we were kids." He begged, looking at Severus. Severus nodded.

Draco and Blaise looked at the mess they'd be leaving behind. They heard a 'pop', and turned towards the door. Their stomachs lurched as the Minister of Magic appeared, as well as Auror Harry Potter.

They were stunned, looking around.

"What… happened?" Harry muttered, stumbled, looking to Draco for an answer.

"We received reports of an unforgivable curse." The minister explained. Severus' eyes went wide, and he glanced down at Kathryn, who was beginning to come around.

"Was it her?" He asked, pointing at Kathryn. They didn't answer. They couldn't turn her in.

"Who's the monster that used the Cruciatus Curse?" He demanded to know. Harry looked at the boy in the bed, and his eyes widened. He then began to look around, scowling and paling at the evidence before him.

"Um, sir, I think that there's more to this than—

-silence, Potter. Tell me, Malfoy. Who is the heartless monster that did this?" He demanded to know. Austin flared up, angry.

"The monster you're looking for is locked in the closet!" He barked, then began to cough again, crying out in pain. The minister turned to him, and finally, his eyes were opened. His mouth dropped open.

"Who did this to you, boy? The same person that used the unforgivable curse?" He questioned. Kathryn sat up weakly, and looked up, using the metal frame of the bed to stand herself up.

"I used the curse. But they're right. The real monster is in that closet." She explained. Her knees collapsed and Draco and Nayeli caught her, steadying her on her feet. She leaned against Severus, and he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"How old are you, woman?" The minister asked.

"Seventeen, sir." She answered. The minister cocked an eyebrow. Harry rolled his eyes, and went to examine the closet, unlocking it with a wave of his wand.

"Don't let her out!" One of the children cried out, running up to him and grabbing his arm. He stopped, and turned to the little boy. The door swung open, and the woman fell out, making a rush for the door. A group of kids blocked her escape again, scowling at her.

"Where do you think you're going?" They asked. The woman scowled, and cowered down, sitting on the floor. As Harry looked at her, he shuddered. She resembled a female version of his Uncle Dursley.

"You do know the repercussions of using magic in front of muggles, and an unforgivable curse, don't you?" The minister asked Kathryn. She nodded her head.

"It was self-defense. Look at these children around you. They are like this because of that woman over there in the corner. So, send me to Azkaban if you want. Fucking sue me, I don't give a damn. But send her away. Keep her far away from these children." She spat angrily, looking at him weakly from against Severus' chest.

The minister looked at her, and sighed.

"Come with us." He ordered. She forced herself to stand without Severus' help. Nayeli stood in front of her, looking at her.

"Hell no! The last time I left you leave anywhere, you got sent here and tortured! No way am I going to let you go like that again!" She barked. The minister looked up at her.

"Tortured?" He asked. Kathryn looked back at him and nodded, almost wanting to ask him if he was an idiot. She sighed, and pushed Nayeli out of the way, and lifted her shirt. Her scars showed, as she hadn't had time to cast the blemish spell on herself. He stared, horrified at the scars that littered her stomach, also noticing the bruise on her ribs.

"Jesus!" Harry blurted, looking away out of sickness. The other children stood too, revealing their injuries. The minister and Harry almost began to cry.

"With all due respect, I'd like to return to Hogwarts. I have detention to serve, and I've done nothing wrong, I believe. I'll attend a trial if you really insist, but until then, take her away. Send her to Azkaban for all I care. God knows she _deserves _it." She requested, sending an evil smirk at the Madame's direction. The woman cowered, shivering.

The minister, to their relief, slowly nodded.

"I'll send an owl when we decide on a trial date." He muttered, releasing her. Harry reached down and grabbed the back of the female Uncle Dursley's shirt and pulled her to her feet, jerking her around.

"_Move._" He growled, apparating her away from the premises. Kathryn sighed of relief, and then looked at all the children, wondering what she was going to do with them. She wasn't planning on driving away The Madame until she'd finished school, and could focus on running the orphanage herself.

The minister looked at all of them as well.

"What now?" She asked.

Eliza pushed through the crowd and gave her a hug.

"Austin and I can handle this for now, I think. We're not completely incapable." She muttered, trying to get Kathryn away so that she could rest. Kathryn frowned.

"Yeah, but—

-I have an idea. We can send someone to help. My mother might do it." Draco offered. Severus laughed at the thought of his grandmother trying to take care of 30+ muggle children.

"Don't underestimate your grandmother, Severus." He snapped. Severus shut up immediately.

"Yes, father. Sorry…" He muttered. Kathryn looked at Draco in admiration at his offer to help. However, she'd never met his mother, and didn't know if she could trust him. She could hardly trust anyone at this moment.

"Who?" She asked. Nayeli smiled at her.

"Our grandmother, Narcissa Malfoy." She smiled.

Kathryn averted her gaze to the floor.

_I dunno…_ She thought.

"Let me meet her, first. I don't want to risk anything. Not when they've already been through enough."

Draco nodded. Her reasoning wasn't wrong.

The minister cleared his throat.

"We'll need to obliviate them, you know." He announced. Kathryn shook her head.

"Austin and Eliza want to testify on my behalf. They won't be able to do that if they're obliviated." She argued. He shook his head.

"Being a first-hand witness, I think that this is enough. Besides, it's for the better of them." He countered. She squinted her eyes.

"Is it?" She questioned, more to herself. She slowly nodded. Of course it was. They were innocent. They didn't need these memories. But who was she to decide? She shook her head. They wouldn't remember anything. They probably wouldn't remember her. If it meant that the memories of the abuse were gone, she could accept that.

She turned and buried her face in Severus's chest, clinging to his shirt, hiding her tears. He hugged her back gently, rubbing it in small circles as she cried silently.

* * *

Don't worry, next chapter will be an update on Sheeva. Back to the action! :)


	12. Chapter 12

As promised, a small update on Sheeva's circumstances.

* * *

Sheeva stared at the field of wheat and foxgrass, admiring their luscious golden-brown color, signaling that fall was on its way. Or maybe, it was already here. She couldn't determine which, lost in the way that the fields that spanned the vast steppe swayed like leaves in the wind. They looked like waves of gold crashing on an ocean shore. Truly, it was a sight to behold, and she felt at ease as she gazed upon it, forgetting momentarily where she was.

If only her family could see this beauty of her once-homeland. She felt the corners of her mouth curve in a smile as she imagined Jeffrey having a blast running through the fields, disappearing in their height. She could almost see his face, beaming with childish joy as he ran through, feeling the wheat tickle his young, innocent hands. She chuckled as she imagined Severus annoying Nayeli by throwing foxtail heads in her hair, making them stick like velcro. Her eyes began to tear up as she almost felt her husband's hands holding hers, their fingers intertwined.

She closed her hands, and opened her eyes, dismayed at the reality. Her husbands and children were _not _here, nor would she allow them to be, for their safety. She shook her head and reprimanded herself.

_Get it together. This isn't a pleasure cruise._

"You ok, woman? You spaced for a second." Joseph piped up in a mocking tone. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and he shot her a cocky, arrogant grin. She rolled her eyes, scowled, and began to walk on through the fields, holding out her hand to feel the wheat tickle her palm. If Jeffrey couldn't, she'd do it for him, at least.

Joseph rushed in front of her, propped his hands behind his head, and turned around to face her. He walked backwards, trying to flaunt his talents. She stared at him, uninterested.

"How long do think it will take us to get there, woman?" He asked. Artix walked to her left, reading his book, while Kalas walked to her right, lookin ahead. Zakkari walked behind in tow, as he preferred.

Joseph growled as she ignored his question, and stopped, staring her straight in the eye.

"You know, you're making it really difficult to get along with, woman." He snapped, crossing his arms and giving her a stern look, tapping his foot impatiently, demanding that she pay attention to him. She scoffed.

"We do not have to be chummy, chauvanist arrogant _boy. _I have a name. If we are to be civil to each other on this mission, I suggest you _use _it." She hissed, having to look up to stare at him. He smirked.

"Whatever you say, Sheeva Chorea." He said, raising his hands in mock defeat. She frowned even more, displease with his sardonic attitude.

"Zabini-Malfoy, Cowles." She growled, correcting him as she walked on. He turned away as she walked by, not really caring. Still, "Cowles" was better than "chauvanist arrogant boy". Kalas huffed, and stretched his wings.

"At this rate, we'll be gone for years. Let's quit playing grabass and get going." He commented.

At this, Sheeva pushed her wings out and spread them, lifting herself into the air with skill and grace. The weightlessness felt good. It'd been a while since she'd been able to fly. The freedom was invigorating.

The males looked at each other, slightly shocked at seeing a female with her wings unsealed, bared, and in use. Tradition had it deemed indecent for a woman to show her wings, let alone use them, which is why they were sealed away at birth.

Sheeva noticed their gawking stares, and shook her head, scowling. She owed them an explanation, it seemed.

"I broke the seal with my own power. Get over it, and let us go." She stated. Kalas and Joseph's mouths dropped open slightly. Joseph closed his and smirked. A woman with _power_. She was definitely something else.

Sheeva smirked at their faces and rose higher into the air, scanning the horizon. The fields went on for miles. She looked up in the sky, and judged the position of the sun. It rose in the west, and set in the east, opposite of the human's sun. She found herself wondering if her two worlds even _shared_ the same sun.

The men took flight as well, and in a v-formation, they flew to the west toward Tryptic Village in the Jutted Mountains, the sun beating down on their backs as it set in the east.

* * *

A bright red fire blazed before them as they sat around it in a circle. They'd flown until sunset, the moons peeking out from the horizon, in an almost perfect alignment. Kursu, the smallest, was just ahead of Celeste, the larger. As Sheeva gazed upon the stars, she wondered if her family was looking at the same sky, too. She shook her head. A silly idea.

Two moons was proof that they didn't have anything close to the same. However, if she could just point out a few similar constellations, maybe she could disprove her theory.

She'd been gone for a week now, making small progress towards the village, as it was on the coast. Kadessa was roughly the size of China, and Raynak was smack-dab in the middle of the 'continent'. She wasn't sure if she could call it an 'island', its steppes and mountain ranges being too vast.

She pondered how they were doing. Her twins would be finishing their finals, and saying goodbye to their friends. Her husbands would be busy grading final after final. Jeffrey would be bored out of his mind, coloring away in a book or asking his fathers question after question, until Blaise would get tired of answering and send him off to bed.

She caught herself smiling, and hid it away, but too late. Artix and Kalas had noticed.

"What are you thinking about, Sheeva?" Kalas asked, trying to make small talk. Since they'd met, they'd hardly spoken amongst each other, trying to keep their relationship strictly business, if that. The males were still unnerved that they were working with a female that wouldn't let them chide her or boss her around. Rather, she bossed them with polite and direct requests.

To his surprise, she answered.

"My family. They are the main reason I am here." She crossed her arms and her right leg over her left, leaning back against the tree she was nestled under.

They looked at her, silently expecting her to continue. Even Joseph was paying attention, waiting for her to say something for him to pick at. Even if he did remark with smart-ass comments, he was beginning to become a little more tolerable, especially since she'd saved their asses from an angry woodland tortoise that was trying its damndest to finish them off.

She fished out her notebook from her bag, expanded it to its normal size, and took out a photo. She looked at it briefly. Normally, her family would be smiling and waved at her, signing "I love you". However, it was frozen, their faces in a smile and their wands stopped mid-wave. She sighed, and handed it to Zakkari, who was sitting at her right, smoking tobacco from a pipe.

Zakkari couldn't help but stare, baffled. Among five, two were dark-skinned, and he stared at them in amazement. He couldn't help but wonder if they were naturally dark-skinned, if they were dirty, or possibly even sick. He could see a striking resemblance between the two oldest children and their fathers. Both twins had green eyes like their mother, and the female had the blonde's light skin, while the male had the darker man's skin. The youngest standing between the twins had blue eyes and blonde hair, matching the man on the right.

He passed it to Kalas, who soon bore a baffled expression that voiced Zakkari's thoughts. Kalas stared at the photo for a while before passing it to Artix. Artix's eyes widened.

"The dark-skinned ones, are they ill?" He asked. Sheeva couldn't help but laugh, remembering the first time she'd seen an African. She too, thought they might be ill.

"No, that is their natural way." She answered, holding out her hand to take it back from Joseph. Joseph smirked at her.

"Which one is your husband, then?" He demanded to know.

"They both are." She answered honestly. The males looked at her as though she'd confessed to a heinous crime. By their laws, she had.

"Polygamous marriage is not a crime in some regions of the human's world. Draco, Blaise, and I love each other equally, and we see nothing wrong with it. We have raised our children to the best of our ability with love, kindness, and an open-heart and mind." She stated calmly, tucking the photo back into the notebook and shrinking it, putting it immediately back.

Joseph crossed his arms and glared into the fire. She was too mushy for his liking. _Just like a woman to be such a lovey-dovey._ He thought.

Artix and Kalas stared into the fire, contemplating her words. She'd only been traveling with them for a week, but they began to wonder more and more if their traditions really weren't needed. Here traveling with them was a woman who could throw a mother bear off of their tracks or even take out a deer without so much as a retch or a blink of an eye, and then turn around and continue on her merry way.

Kalas retrieved a flask from his bag, unscrewing the cap and taking a swig of the contents. He licked his lips and sighed, passing it to Joseph, who also took a swig. He glanced at Kalas before handing it off to Sheeva. She took it, and smiled slightly.

"May I?" She asked, tipping it in Kalas' direction. He nodded. She nodded back in thanks.

She unscrewed the cap and tilted it back to take a drink, letting the alcohol mull around along her tongue before swallowing it. She screwed the cap back on and passed it. Zakkari passed it along, not being a drinker. He preferred tobacco.

"Ah, Kadessian vodka. I have missed this." She admitted, smirking. It was almost twice as potent as human vodka, which was why she only allotted herself a sip—she could handle wine, but not hard alcohols. She found herself wondering how her husbands could drink the stuff.

"These strange customs must be natural for you now, aren't they? Considering you've been living among these humans for thousands of years." Artix mentioned, still trying to wrap this stunning idea around his brain. Sheeva slowly nodded, a realization coming to her. True, after all she'd experienced at the hands of humans, the only close-mindedness she had was towards her own kind. She smirked at the irony.

"Yes. I have seen many things, and been to many places. I have watched humans evolve, gather, love, and hate. I have fought alongside them in wars. We fight with our own kind, as you do, sometimes to gain something, other times to protect it. We come together in times of strife, and help each other after disasters. Men and women work together to heal and maintain survival." She blurted. It was deep, and it chilled her as she contemplated its honesty. Zakkari was listening intently, unaware that his pipe had snuffed itself out.

"We're… the same, you say?" He asked. As his pipe shook, he lost the grip of it between his teeth, and it fell out of his mouth. He caught it, and rested it on his knee. Slowly, Sheeva nodded.

"Aside from our anatomical differences, yes, Lotte. We are much the same." She muttered, folding her hands and setting them in her lap. She was trembling slightly, and grabbed a blanket, and wrapped it around herself. She continued to stare at the flames, now short and dissipated. The bright orange coals emitted the last of the heat they'd get for the evening, as they were all tired, and needed rest.

"You talk as though you are one of them." Joseph stated sternly. She looked at him. He was obviously upset, frustrated. She took a deep breath, and stared back at the coals, the next few words coming straight from the depths of her heart.

"After eons of history, I consider myself as close to a human as I can be." She admitted.

Joseph scowled, and spit into the fire, agitated. One of their kind, albeit a woman, was denouncing her claim as a Kadessian, and laying claim to being a _human_. A creature he hadn't even heard of before her arrival. As far as he was concerned, these _humans_ were lower on the totem pole than they, being unable to use their energy in the form of magic or take to the sky with wings. He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"We should sleep. We are almost there, I believe. Another three days, yes?" She asked, curling herself up into her blanket, keeping a knife handy in case of an ambush. They settled down as well, stoking the fire to release a little more heat to keep them warm as they slept.

* * *

Sheeva and her team raced through the ruins, ignoring the aged hieroglyphs littered along the pillars. Instead, they were focused on murdering dead warriors as they maneuvered through the compound. A captain was ahead of them, and Sheeva fought against her foes as hard as she could, hell bent on catching the man.

He was their only lead now to their real target.

She sliced off the head of a skeleton, the 'zing' of the blade echoing through everyone's ears as the last foe of a small risen group fell again. She replaced her blade and motioned for them to keep on his heels and they did so. They chased him down, gaining on him when he tried to slide under a fallen pillar instead of jumping over it.

When he rushed inside a tomb, she fearlessly followed, disappearing into the darkness.

The man in front of her turned and shot a fireball at her, and she jumped out of the way by rushing against the wall skillfully. It flew straight past her leg, and she could feel the burn as the heat passed on to the air around it.

She was closer now because of his attempt at stopping her, and she grabbed a knife out of a bag strapped to her thigh. She lodged it at him, and it whistled as it traveled through the air and embedded itself in his left shoulder.

As the light at the end of the tunnel drew closer, the man spread his wings, and as soon as he reached the outside, he took off into the air. Sheeva copied him, drawing _Shinigami_ and spreading her wings as well. She jumped out of the exit and took off, swooping up.

The man dived down at her from higher up, trying to ambush her. She countered his attack and threw him aside, and he hit a pillar behind her that he hadn't calculated for when planning his attack.

She immediately pounced on him, yanking the knife out of his shoulder and holding it to his neck. She formed a sign and pushed his wings back into his body, and then another to paralyze him from the neck down. As he fell off of the pillar, she grabbed him by the collar and flew to the ground.

She flipped him over and tied him down with the vines that grew around with a 'snap' of her fingers, and then sat down on his chest.

She scowled down at the man and grabbed his garnished helmet and yanked it off of his head, scowling down at him, panting. He was panting too, sweaty from his feeble attempt at escape.

She sneered at him.

"How you became a captain, I will never know." She hissed. He glared back at her, enraged that a woman was sitting on him like he were a carpet.

"Get the hell off of me." He ordered. She shook her head.

"Not until you tell me what I want to know. I have been here for three damn weeks, and not once have I seen your commander's face. I have not even heard his mocking voice. Tell me. Where is Tazaro Chorea?" She demanded. He sneered this time.

"Like I'll tell you, woman." He hissed. She raised her hand and smacked him on the cheek. The sound echoed through the tunnel the two had just entered through.

"I can _make _you tell me. Now tell me, before I force you to!" She ordered again, picking him up by his collar, lifting him, and slamming him back down on the ground.

Her team skidded to a halt as they exited the tunnel, slightly shocked. Joseph began to laugh at the sight, and Zakkari even had a hard time holding back a smirk.

The captain beneath her laughed at her, and went to spit at her, but she punched his cheek. He groaned in pain, and blinked it away.

"Tell me!" She ordered for the final time. When he shook his head, she looked up at them.

"Kalas, would you kindly assist me? Hold his mouth open. Do not break his jaw, though. I need him to speak." She asked, fishing around in her satchel for the vial of clear, lethal liquid. She unstoppered it and waited while Kalas forced the man's mouth open. She tilted and dropped a single drop into the man's mouth. It trickled down into the back of his throat and involuntarily swallowed it.

He growled and glared at her.

"What the fuck was that?" He questioned, struggling to get away from her. She laughed down at him.

"Give it ten minutes. You will be spilling your guts to me against your pathetic excuse for will." She snickered, putting the stopper back in the vial and putting it back in her satchel.

"Now...What to chat about?" She asked, looking at her team, smirking. They smiled back at her, amused. This Sheeva was quite interesting.

"Skeletons? Really? Was that the best you could do?" Joseph began, a gleeful smirk on his face. The man glared at him as he tried to cut him down.

"That fireball you shot at me, you need to work on your aim." She commented, checking her watch. It'd only been three minutes. She looked around, examining their location. She nodded as she remembered where they were.

The Tomb of the Mountain King. When she was younger and still traveling, she'd stopped here only _once_. At night, she could have sworn she saw ghosts, and it scared her so badly she couldn't sleep for the evening. Now, the place didn't creep her out quite so much, used to the ghosts at Hogwarts.

She frowned as she felt homesick.

"I can't believe I got trampled by _you_, woman." He snapped at her. She turned back to him, and smirked again, laughing.

"I get that a lot. Are you ready to answer my questions now, fool?" She asked. He found himself nodding, and gave her a confused look.

"What did you _do _to me?" He asked. She ignored the question.

"Your name?"

"Audis Adi." He blurted. He shook his head, and bit his lip. She laughed.

"You cannot resist answering anything. But, just for good measure… who is the Senator of Mayfil?" She asked.

"Senator Rookwood." He blurted. That was true.

"Now. Where can I find Tazaro Chorea?" She demanded. He frowned, and tried to hold back, but grimaced as his jaw began to burn.

"….ahhh! He's in Porcia Valley, looking for you." He admitted. Sheeva smirked. That wasn't too far away. A day's travel, if not less. She stood off of him and began to walk away. The team smirked, and walked away as well, leaving him still tied up. Joseph rushed back to him to dig through his pockets, taking out a spell book and a coin satchel.

"Thanks for the paycheck!" He said, tossing the bag into the air and catching it as he ran away with it. They all laughed as they spread their wings and took off, heading towards the valley. Sheeva found her resolve wavering as she neared the valley, thinking about the upcoming battle. She had to steel herself again, something that seemed much more difficult. It wasn't her average bad guy. It was her "dead" husband.

_You can do it. You have to._ She reminded herself, picking up speed.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! I miss seeing them...


	13. Chapter 13

Well... This was a sweet chapter, I think.

* * *

Kathryn opened the door to the dungeons, sighing. She had to serve her detention just after dinner. She'd promised to work on eating larger portions, forcing herself to eat until her gut felt like it would burst… once a day. She'd merely nibble on her breakfast, not too thrilled to see oatmeal, turkey, or wheat rolls.

Draco looked up from his papers, and smiled at her. She gave a slight nod back, her tired eyes revealing her misery.

"Are you adjusting?" He asked, worried. Severus had mentioned to him that he noticed she wasn't eating, hardly talking to any of them. Kathryn nodded.

"Yes. I'm fine, sir." She muttered. Draco sighed, and shook his head.

"I don't believe you. You're a horrible liar, you know." He stated, setting his papers down and standing up. Draco walked over to a dirty cauldron and tilted it on its side. Kathryn sighed, setting her book bag down. The last thing she wanted to be doing was any sort of physical labor, her side still hurting every once in a while.

"You don't have to use muggle methods. You can use magic." He mentioned, noticing her reluctance. She nodded, thankful for the ease. She skillfully waved her wand and commanded: _scourgify_, her spirit lifting at her handiwork. She then frowned, and stared at the floor, thinking about the orphanage.

Draco looked inside the cauldron, and smirked. She'd done a good job, as always.

"Severus told me you haven't been eating. Nayeli mentioned that you hardly talk to them, and that you haven't been sleeping. It's not your fault, you know, what happened to you." He began. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. She shook her head slowly and sat down on a desk, looking at her hands.

"How _can_ I talk to them, sir?" She mumbled.

"They won't get on your case. They're worried about you. So is Jeffrey. It's taking its toll on all of us. You need to deal with whatever's going on in your head, Kathryn, before you end up doing something drastic." He scolded, sitting on a desk across from her. She looked up at him with teary eyes. In a way, he reminded her much of her father, who would often give her lectues that sounded a lot like this one.

"You don't understand, sir!" She sniffled, her voice cracking. He racked his brain, trying to sympathize with her. Blaise was better at this, and so was Sheeva. He smiled as he had an idea, and rushed to his storeroom, rummaging through the shelves. He made a mental note to have her rearrange and organize the potions.

He found what he was looking for, and walked back out. She was still sitting on the desk, staring morosely at her knees.

"Huître, here. This potion will encourage you to write your thoughts down on paper, sometimes in the form of poetry, other times in the form of… well, messy jumble. But I think it'll help you to sort out what you're thinking and feeling, and get it down on paper. You'll still have to speak them to someone in order to get over it, but writing this down is a start." He explained, holding the small vial to her. She took it, and looked at it. It was a bright, baby blue. She looked back at him, still not trusting him. He held up his hands in defense, smiling genuinely.

"Hey, at least you know what it is, and are taking it of your own free will." He stated. She scoffed.

"I still can't drink water because of you two." She muttered, unstoppering the vial and sniffing the contents. It was spicy, and tingled her nose. She turned her head and held it away as she sneezed, her eyes watering from the whiff of the potion.

Already she could feel some effects, and she took in a deep breath. She sighed as she imagined a few of her favorite scents: The smell of the hospital wing, the smell of the forest, and Severus' cologne. She shook her head at the thought, and looked back at the potion.

"Bottoms up." She muttered, downing the potion. She made a face of disgust as she pulled the vial away from her lips and handed it to him. He chuckled.

"For as pretty as it smells, it tastes like… ammonia." She muttered, shivering as the aftertaste spread across her taste buds. Draco didn't want to know the details of how she knew what ammonia tasted like. She waited for a few minutes, looking around. She didn't feel any different, but she reminded herself that she had to be patient. Then, it hit her. Her hand twitched and began to ache. She _needed_ to write.

She reached into her bag and grabbed her ink and quill and spare bit of parchment, scribbling down her thoughts. She didn't notice Draco peer at the page in interest. They were indeed a jumbled mess, a mixture of two or three lines, some rhyming, others sentences or fragments of sentences.

She sniffled, her face turning red as she admitted her thoughts down on paper. She gave up looking, and closed her eyes, continuing to scrawl on the parchment with fervor. She began to slow down, the potion wearing off as quickly as it had taken effect.

Her hand fell to her side, her fingers barely holding on to the quill. With her other hand, she wiped away the tears from her eyes and the sweat from beneath her brows, taking a deep breath and looking down at the parchment. She'd almost filled it.

Her grammar Nazi began to chide her as she saw the fragments of sentences, and she grimaced, wanting to lift her hand and fix them. It was useless.

"I can't move my hand." She muttered, looking up at him, slightly embarrassed. He grabbed the quill and poked her hand lightly with it.

"Did you feel that, at least?" He asked. She nodded, handing him the parchment with her good hand, and then lifting her limp arm with her other to set it in her lap.

"Good. Means there's no nerve damage. You'll be fine. You were going mach-five, so I'm not surprised." He muttered, turning away from her to read her jumbled mess of notes.

_Worthless. Don't deserve friends. Don't deserve Severus. Orphan. Good for nothing. _And a vast few other insults littered the top of the page. His eyes trailed further down, where a few poetic lines were scribbled.

_Hide my head, I want to drown in sorrow. No tomorrow, no tomorrow. I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad: The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had. I find it hard to tell you. I find it hard to take. Running in circles, it's a mad world._

At this, he sniffled, beginning to tremble.

_Memories don't lie. Going nowhere._

_Filthy mudblood, filthy orphan. Slave. Deaf, dumb bitch._

_Severus doesn't love you. You're a pity case. You, who can barely take care of yourself._

"Severus _loves_ you. He won't say it just yet, because he takes after Blaise. He wants to wait for the opportune moment… a silly romantic." Draco stated, still not looking at her, trying to blink away the tears in his eyes. His voice was cracked, and she stared at him, shocked.

"Are you crying, sir?" She asked. He turned around and stared at her.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" He asked, wondering if that was all that she'd gotten from his confession. She nodded her head.

"Just because you said it doesn't mean it's true." She whispered, drowning. He pinched the bridge of his nose. This would be harder than he thought.

"Actions are more powerful than _any_ string of words. Think about it. He learned sign language for you. He visited you at the orphanage. You saw how he reacted that day in the Leaky Cauldron when you confessed to your abuse. He treated you to dinner, and made sure that you were happy. When Lowe used the Cruciatus Curse on you, he was livid! Hell, he probably would have killed Lowe if he could have gotten away with it." Draco stated, leaning on his arms against the table she was sitting on, giving her a stern look. She didn't look at him, staring at her hands in misery and pain.

"Huître, are you listening to me?" He asked, unsure. She didn't answer, but wrapped her arms around herself, curling into a ball. He called her name again. No answer.

"Kathryn, dammit, look at me." He barked. She flinched, brought out of her thoughts, and trailed her eyes slowly to his face. He had an angry expression on his face, and she found herself preparing to run, the adrenaline causing her body to tingle.

He calmed down as he noticed her tense.

"Please, go talk to him. Talk to Nayeli. As his sister, she probably knows more than I do." He muttered, almost pleading with her to get the help that she needed.

"Whether you believe it or not, you do deserve them. They _want _to hang out with you. They _want _to spend time with you. Not because you're a…" He stopped to glance at the parchment, looking for a few of her words. "An orphan, or a pity-case, or a- He cringed as he said this: "A slut? Really? Far from it, I think." He stated, dropping the parchment to his side to look at her.

"You're their friend. You're the brightest witch of their age. Hell, it's almost like you're Granger's kid." He continued. She looked up at him, a confused look on his face at "Granger". He ignored it. It wasn't important now.

"If you'd just talk to them. For the love of Merlin, I can't watch my children suffer like this anymore. Can't hardly watch _you_ suffer either." He muttered, scratching the back of his head. Over the years, because his kids had spent so much time with her, she was becoming somewhat of a second daughter as well. Of course, he wouldn't admit that right now; he'd already said more than he'd care for.

"Focus on the positive, Huître. You're here, now. You're safe. You've got your friends in Gryffindor. You've got my son who's head over heels for you. You can recover, get out the disturbing mindset that that woman has shaped you into, but you've got to open up, and branch out. You've got to force yourself out of your comfort range." He tried to get her to see to reason. Surely, she had to have some scruples left, and not be so far into depression that there was no getting her out of it. She didn't look at him, and hardly even blinked, but she gave a very small nod of her head.

Draco had to admit, he was relieved that he was able to talk some sense into the poor girl. He heaved a heavy sigh and smiled to himself.

The clock struck eight, and he looked at it, somewhat surprised. Time flew when he wasn't paying attention. He stood up and pocketed the parchment, pulling out a spare that he'd used for calculations and burning it to give the impression that he'd burned the original.

Kathryn felt her stress lift as she stared at the burning parchment. The written words were gone, for now, at least. She frowned as she realized that they would still be fresh in her mind. Perhaps Professor Malfoy had been right. Maybe speaking these words, to better come to terms with them, were key in her recovery.

She felt significantly better at this thought, and stepped down off of the table. She turned to him, and smiled slightly.

"Thank you, sir." She muttered, picking up her bag, wincing slightly as her side stung with pain.

"Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow." He dismissed her, clutching the parchment in his pocket. She headed for the door, and he stopped her again.

"Eat something tomorrow at breakfast, alright? I'll have Nayeli force-feed you if I have to." He growled. She found herself smirking, and left the classroom without another word.

* * *

A week had passed since the lecture. Kathryn was feeling almost a hundred times better, physically and emotionally. She still hadn't voice her thoughts, but writing them down helped her realize more and more that she _had _to tell Nayeli and Severus.

It had been almost three weeks since Sheeva's sudden leave, and Kathryn noticed that the Zabini-Malfoy family were struggling to deal with it. Severus and Nayeli had taken to even more drastic training, spreading their wings and teaching themselves to fly. She was amazed with the way that they were able to use magic without their wands, doing small things such as spitting fire or changing the states of water and other mixtures.

She'd even helped them train, shooting stunning spells at them while they dodged them in the air. A few times they'd gotten hit and stunned, but to the other's quick thinking, neither were harmed. They didn't even hit the safety net Kathryn had meshed with magic above the courtyard.

Jeffrey was even practicing things too, turning small pebbles into rock figures of his favorite animals. He was taking this as something fun. For this, the others were thankful. Kathryn didn't think she could watch Jeffrey turn stoic, like so many of the other children at the orphanage.

Kathryn was allowed to visit the orphanage every few days. The first time around, she'd been terrified, but with Nayeli and Severus at her side, she was able to face her previous prison with a newfound courage. Draco had been right. Severus and Nayeli _wanted _to spend time with her, and she could see it now, clear as day.

Narcissa was doing a wonderful job, and Kathryn was pleased with her. She would owl every other day with constant updates on the children. She'd been working hard to make sure that they had plenty of what they needed and more, even telling her that a few of the children were in line for adoption. Austin had been sent to the hospital for a few days after their "liberation" and placed in the ICU. Eliza visited him every day, and had helped him move back in.

The orphanage had transformed from a drab, miserable, run-down place to a bright, happy place bustling with the energy and laughter of the children. They'd rushed to Kathryn with grins on their faces, looking better than they had in _years_.

Harry Potter would often stop by, trying to gather as much evidence as he could to build up a case against Madame Maddess. Even with the evidence, she would be going to prison hands-down, but it was always safe to have as much evidence as they could. Kathryn was delighted to hear that she was behind bars in Azkaban, almost leaping for joy in the Grand Hall as she received the news.

She hadn't meant to, but it was relieving for her.

The trial was set for the fourteenth of February. Valentine's Day, of all days. What a killjoy.

Kathryn shook her head as she noticed Severus stand from the Slytherin table and make his way hastily towards the courtyard, a determined expression on his face. She knew that he was going to train. She excused herself and followed, hoping to catch him by himself, eager to talk.

She watched as he shed his robes and shirt, spread his wings, and formed a sign with his hands, forming copies of himself with dirt. He began to spar with them furiously, working out his anger towards them. Kathryn counted the clones. Six against one. Flawlessly, he took them out, and they exploded, sending clods of dirt everywhere as they were defeated.

He looked up at the statue of Dumbledore, and it smiled back down at him. It was a constant reminder of his mother's power, and he craved more. Nayeli and Severus both did. They'd driven themselves to near exhaustion, training until they dropped.

Severus retracted his wings and sat down at the base of the statue, sighing heavily as he rested his arms on his knees. Kathryn's heart fell as she noticed that his face looked like he was about to cry. She shook her head and walked out, sitting down next to him and taking his hand. It was warm, his body still heated.

He glanced at her with tired eyes. She smiled back at him.

"Doing ok?" She asked. He nodded his head slightly, and then shook his head.

"No. It's been three weeks now. Tomorrow will be a month." He muttered. She nodded.

"I know. But, Severus? She'd be proud of you and Nayeli. Look how much you've done for yourself. For each other. Even for _me._" She reminded him, trying to keep his thoughts positive. She rested her head against his arm, and he nodded, wrapping his arm around her to pull her in closer.

"Thanks, Kathryn." He kissed the top of her head, happy that he could do so now. She chuckled, and draped her knees over her legs, getting comfortable. He felt his cheeks heat in slight shock as she rested her head against his chest and folded her arms on her stomach.

This was the closest she'd gotten to him since their first date. He hugged her to him, hardly noticing that he was getting a little bit cold. She was, though, and she took her wand out and waved it, casting a warming charm on the both of them to block out the cold.

"I… I have to apologize. I knew what I was walking into when I left that day." She began, not entirely sure where to start. He closed his eyes, and focused. When he opened them, he was in his room, sitting on his bed. Kathryn was still in his arms, the way she had been outside. She chuckled, amazed.

"What was _that_?" She asked. Severus was even more shocked.

"It _worked?_" He asked, looking around. He smirked at himself. Of course it worked. He was_ too_ good at this.

"Didn't mean to cut you off, but I figured we should be inside; it's the middle of winter." He muttered. She chuckled, and nodded, hugging him, the heat from his body still radiating.

He lifted a hand to set it on her head, stroking her hair. They sat in silence for a while, watching the creatures that dwelled in the lake through the window.

"I should have tried harder to stop you." He admitted. She took a deep breath, and sighed. The words she wanted to say she'd written down on paper, intending to give them to him. However, as she pulled the letter out of her pocket, she stared at it.

"What's in the letter?" He asked. She squinted at it, remembering Draco's lecture. She had to say the words, not write them down. She'd have to hear herself say them, accept them as true, and change her mind set about them to move on.

She tore the letter up and set the pieces on his nightstand.

"Everything in the letter, I've got to say to you. Otherwise, I won't be able to get over this." She began.

She turned to him, looking him in his emerald eyes. She blinked, a frown on her face.

"I kept telling myself I was doing the right thing. My dad always pressured me to do the right thing, no matter what, and after he died, I…" She paused, searching for the right words.

"There's an insane need to do everything to make sure that everyone is all right, even at my own expense. The Madame's words didn't really affect me till recently. I started doubting myself. I started doubting you and Nayeli." She whispered, her throat tight with worry and self-loathing.

"She told me, almost every day that I wasn't worth it. That you didn't care. That Nayeli didn't care. I would be alone, no matter what, because I'm…" She stopped, taking a deep breath. Severus waited, almost wanting to cut her off and tell her that she was dead wrong. His impatience tore at his tongue as it itched to speak.

"Because I'm weak, a know-it-all. Because I'm not good enough. That I'll never be good enough. I'm a pity-case. A slave." Her voice was thick with hurt and pain, agonizing to Severus' ears. He softly touched her cheek. She opened her mouth to say more, but then closed it, staring somewhere on his chest.

"It's getting easier to deal with day by day, but when I look in the mirror every morning… I have to see it. I see them, and have to tell myself that they're nothing but lies. Scars that a tyrant inflicted on me to cut me down, and make me miserable. They don't define me. _I _define… me." She continued.

"'They'? What are you talking about?" He asked, worried. She pulled away from him and stared at him sadly, then reached into her robe pocket and retrieved her wand, dispelling the blemishing charm she'd placed on herself. He barely registered that she'd grabbed his hand before he felt it slip beneath her shirt.

His eyes widened in shock as his thumb grazed a scar on her left hip, and he traced it. He lifted her shirt a little bit, allowing his eyes to trail to his thumb. '_Worthless'_ was carved into her skin. He scowled, his eyes emanating the pain he felt, and he lifted her shirt more to examine the rest.

This was what she'd meant by her "board". It made him tremble slightly, and his heart pounded in his chest with agony. She shrugged off her robes and pulled off her shirt, revealing every scar she had cut into her stomach. He tried to fight back the tears as he saw them.

"She did this to you?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Kathryn nodded slowly.

"Yes. She did."

"Oh, God." He sat up quickly and hugged her tightly against him. She could feel him shivering, and she hoped that it wasn't from fear. He placed a small kiss on her neck, and ran his fingers through her hair. She hugged him back, surprised.

"If I could get rid of them forever, Kathryn, I would. Please know that I would. But they're wrong. These words are so wrong." He whispered, his brain taking a vacation shortly after he finished his sentence. The other thoughts in his head had "gotten lonely and died" Nayeli would say.

They heard footsteps running up the stairs from outside of his door and Jeffrey's voice calling out to Severus from behind the door. Kathryn and Severus broke apart, and Severus didn't think he'd ever seen her move so quickly as she grabbed her shirt and robes, taking them with her as she rolled off of the bed onto the floor. She scurried beneath his bed, and hid, rearranging the dressings of the bed to give the impression that everything was in order.

Severus stood as Jeffrey barreled into the room, rushing up to him and holding a stone animal that seemed to be alive.

"Look! Look! It's alive!" He gleamed proudly, holding up a stone baby dragon. Severus was honestly amazed, momentarily forgetting about Kathryn. He went to pick it up, but as soon as he held it in his hand, it froze, becoming a normal stone figurine. He frowned, and set it back in Jeffrey's hand.

It sprang back to life, and let out a roar, a small wisp of fire erupting from its mouth.

"Well, now. That's interesting." He muttered, intrigued. Jeffrey grinned proudly, and set it on Severus' dresser.

"Where's Kathryn? I want to make one for her too!" He asked, ecstatic. Severus paused, his eyes widening as he looked like a kid caught in a lie. He forced himself to shrug.

"I, uh, don't know. Try… the library." He suggested, feeling his nerves increase dramatically. Jeffrey took his suggestion, gave him a quick hug, and tottered off, skipping across the common room and down the hall to the library.

Severus walked over to the door and locked it, letting out a tense breath. He chuckled to himself, and turned around. Kathryn had crawled out from underneath his bed, brushing off the dust bunnies. He rushed over to her and picked a few out of her hair, gently caressing her cheek. She smiled, relaxed, and turned her head into his palm.

He pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her, pleased when she kissed him back. His skin was wonderfully smooth and hot to her touch, and she couldn't help but grab onto his shoulders. The way his muscles flexed as he held her and kissed her sent tingles down her back and a pool of need between her legs.

They paused for a moment to look in each other's eyes, and they both smiled, their eyes half-lidded from their mixture of emotion. Severus rested one hand at the small of her back and the other tipped her head to meet his again as he kissed her more, a little more passionately.

She walked backwards until her knees hit his bed. She giggled and fell backwards, taking him with her, surprising him slightly. He moved himself between her legs, and pushed her up on the bed, crawling over her.

His erection was throbbing against his slacks, but he ignored it. True, it was difficult to do so, being as it had to be the first boner he'd had in quite a while. He propped himself up on his elbow, trailing his fingers along her neck and along her collarbone. He rubbed it with his thumb, and broke away from their kiss to look at her.

Her face was beet red, and he was happy that color was coming back to her face. He took her hand and kissed her again, continuing to trail his hands down her body, tracing her scars with his thumb. He felt himself shaking slightly. He shifted his weight to his other hand, accidentally brushing his erection against her thighs.

He felt her skin break out in goose bumps and barely heard her gasp at the contact, squeezing his hand.

He nibbled on her lip, and chuckled when she shivered again. Her body felt like it was on fire, despite the cold of the room. He moved his mouth to her ear, giving the earlobe a slight nibble, earning another gasp of surprise. He chuckled, the vibrations from his voice tickling her neck and sending even more shivers down her spine, the pool of need growing stronger.

She let her head fall to the side, opening her neck to give him a little more room, and he gladly kissed and nipped at her neck, lightly sucking on a few places. He slipped his thumb and index finger beneath the fabric of her bra, hesitating.

He tried not to frown or look at her, as she'd know that he was slightly worried. Her ribs were prominent, and he could feel them. Hell, he could even feel the knobs where the bones had calcified to heal the minor fractures.

"Kathryn…" He muttered sadly, placing a kiss on her neck. She was slightly confused, mistaking his hesitance for nerves. She arched her back and unclasped her bra, pulling the straps down and off of her thin shoulders. He sat up and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Um… uh…" He stammered, slightly embarrassed. She giggled at him. His reactions were incredibly cute.

She took his hand and placed it on her breast, giving it a light squeeze. Severus sucked in a breath as he felt the nipple harden beneath his palm, and averted his gaze from her eyes to her chest as he lifted his hand away and began to play with her nipple, rolling it about in his fingers.

He leaned down and took the other nipple in his mouth, nibbling and licking it, fascinated with the texture. It was amazingly soft, and when it hardened in his mouth, it became slightly rough. He let out a growl as his erection pulsed with arousal. He let himself press against her again, and a tiny moan escaped her lips. She rubbed against him, looping a finger in his belt loop to pull him closer.

He broke away from her nipple with a 'pop', and then kissed her hungrily, grinding against her, hard. Her body moved automatically, and she gripped his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of it. The skirt of her school uniform had bunched up around her hips, revealing smooth, white skin and a pair of black underwear.

Severus smirked in his kiss as he inched his hand between her legs, pausing at the waistband of her skirt.

"May I?" He asked in a husky voice that Kathryn found incredibly sexy. She nodded slowly, blushing, eager to be touched. Her eyes widened and then shut tightly as she lied back as he began to stroke her from the outside of her underwear. He grinned as he felt that they were soaked.

She was panting, gripping his sheets. She almost let out a scream as he slipped his hand between her skin and the fabric. He watched her, fascinated, and sat up to be able to get a better view.

He let his fingers explore her lips, tracing them and enjoying the way that she would flinch as he rubbed the bundle of nerves at the top. He gently circled it with the pad of his middle finger before bringing it down and pushing it inside of her.

She let out a moan, followed by a sultry muttering of his name as his finger slid inside of her. It was incredibly sexy, hot, and tight. When she bucked against his hand, he chuckled, and experimented by sliding his ring finger inside, doing a scissoring motion and rubbing his fingers along her walls.

He leaned down and kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around him, caressing his arms, giving the one that was working on her a squeeze. She broke away to whisper hotly beside his ear: _Faster, more!_

He obliged, testing using his thumb to rub her clit, and she arched, lips parted in a silent moan. He moved his fingers faster, and she bucked her hips against him, feeling her release building. She'd tried to mimic what she thought it would feel like, only to find that it was satisfactory, at best. This, however, was at a whole new level.

When he leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth and bit it lightly, she came, letting out a small scream of pleasure and her eyes fluttered closed. He grinned, amazed as his work, but even more so at the feeling of her tightening around his fingers. He removed them. He brought one to his mouth and licked at it, finding that he enjoyed the taste. It was strangely sweet, yet tangy.

"Severus!" She gasped, embarrassed at his actions. He gave her a look.

"What? I'm just curious!" He explained, smirking down at her. She had closed her eyes, trying to still her racing heart. She sat up, blushing. She caught him by surprise as she gripped his shoulders and playfully pushed him to his back, straddling his hips.

She kissed him, _hard_, pushing her tongue into his mouth. He groaned and gripped her hips, allowing one hand to move to her butt, giving it a firm grasp. She squeaked, and giggled, sitting up and resting her hands on his belt buckle. His eyes widened, and then floated shut as she cupped him from outside of his slacks.

He bit his lip, trying to keep himself in check. He knew he was going to blow, and he didn't want to embarrass himself by doing it too soon. He chuckled, amused by the wave sent through his body when she lightly bit his nipple, kissing her way down his chest.

A knock sounded at the door, and his nerves ran wild. He snapped his eyes open and looked at the door, and then back at her. She had a wonderfully seductive smirk on her face as she held a finger to her lips, motioning for him to be silent. She unbuckled his belt slowly, teasingly.

She fought to keep from giggling as Blaise's voice called out from the other side of the door.

"Hey, you have a minute?" He asked. Severus looked down at Kathryn, and then at the door.

"Not really." He managed to get out. He covered his mouth his with hand and grabbed a fistful of sheet as she pulled his erection out and began to stroke it. As he looked back at her, he noticed the look of shock on her face, and shot her a smirk. He knew he was well endowed, and thankful for it.

"Oh, fuck." He mouthed when she licked it from the base to the tip, putting it in her mouth and sucking the head gently. He bit his knuckle to keep from groaning as she took more of him in, his eyes rolling in the back of his head.

"…eli was looking for you. That and, I wanted to check up on you. You seem… frustrated." Blaise called in. Severus fought back a growl. His father was getting on his nerves.

"I'm…" He took a deep breath. "_Fine_." He stressed, trying to keep his noises down and breathing steady. He gasped as she bit him lightly.

"Just trying to sleep." He muttered, his eyes fluttering closed. He was aching, trying to restrain himself. How embarrassing it'd be if he…

"Ok. Well, I love you. See you in the morning." Blaise muttered to him, waiting for an answer.

"Love you." He called out, looking at Kathryn. A gleam spread across her eyes, and she _winked_ at him. Severus heard footsteps leading away from his doorstep, and he knew that his father had left. He silently cast a silencing charm on himself before he came, grunting out as his hips bucked hard, spilling himself in the back of her throat. She held him down, sucking at him, trying to get every drop.

He fell back against his bed, panting. She dispelled the silencing charm he'd placed on himself, grinning down at him.

"That was… fucking intense." He blurted, still shocked at the fact that she'd done something like that. Even more so at his ability to hold on till the last minute. She laughed at him, amused, wiping her lips a little.

She lied down next to him, curling herself into him. He began to laugh, holding her tightly against him. He kissed the top of her head.

"Shocked that you could hold a conversation… with your _father_ of all people." She commented. He smirked.

"I meant that to be for you, you know. I… love you, Kathryn." He confessed. She paused, and smiled, her eyes filling with tears. She buried her face in his chest.

"I love you too, Severus." She whispered, trying to keep from bawling with joy. He tilted her face up, and kissed her, ignoring the fact that she'd just sucked him off. He pulled his quilt up and over them both, wrapping an arm around her.

"Stay. It's… late." He asked, giving her hip a squeeze.

She chuckled.

"Someone will notice that I'm not in the common room." She pointed out, cuddling against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It's cold, then." He suggested.

"_Inside_ the castle?" She arched an eyebrow. She covered her mouth as she yawned.

"You fell asleep here… helping me… study." He chuckled, closing his eyes. She smirked.

"Sounds legit." She agreed, closing her eyes as well, slipping off to sleep with ease. He opened an eye to steal one last look at her before falling asleep, his heart swelling with love and pride. She was cute, beautiful on an everyday basis, but here, she was _perfect_.

* * *

How cute... off to homework now... ugh... no more...


	14. Chapter 14

Had to split this chapter into two. There's a lot to handle here.

Enjoy, and PLEASE, REVIEW!

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"_How_ are we going to pull this off, exactly? There must be a thousand of them, and only five of us. It's a fool's fight!" Joseph asked skeptically, handing the binoculars to Artix, who took them and looked through them.

"I have seen circumstances like this before. The results were quite shocking. Do not underestimate the power of few versus the many. _Especially_ when they work together." Sheeva muttered, sharpening _Shinigami_, as it had a few dents in the metal from the fights with the risen skeletons the day before.

Artix handed the binoculars to Kalas, and untangled his wedding band, hooked around a chain on his neck. He began to channel his energy to it, closing his eyes in focus. Zakkari glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. Sheeva chuckled, clutching her wedding ring as well, as she would do the same.

"Your target is Tazaro. We take care of the army. Those are our orders." He reminded them, scowling. Sheeva nodded slowly.

"Sometimes, though, orders must be broken. If you really must focus on the army, focus your attacks on the leaders. Without the supply of energy, the dead will fall. However, knowing my… _husband_…" She contemplated, stating his status with an icy tone dripping with displeasure.

She cleared her throat and shook her head.

"He may be channeling energy to the dead as well. So, even if we do take out the leaders, we may all have to work together to take him out. Something is not adding up. His manipulation of the dead is something new. He never used this technique in life." She mused, pausing in her sharpening.

"You're telling us this _now?_" Kalas growled, irate at her secrecy. She looked up at him, an apologetic look on her face.

"I did not know that his army was dead until we arrived, Kanites. Although, we can use this to our advantage. They are weak to fire. The body fills with volatile gasses after death, due to the emissions of detritovore insects that feed on the decaying flesh." She stated. They looked at her, confused. Artix chuckled at their expressions.

"They fill up with gas because the insects… fart, for lack of a better term, gasses that can easily catch on fire." He translated. They all nodded, smirking at his use of the word "fart". Sheeva shook her head, secretly amused by their immaturity.

She went back to sharpening her sword, and didn't bother to wipe this one clean. The metal shards could come in handy. They were a wonderful conductor of electricity.

She rummaged through her satchel, checking the potions that she had left. One vial of Veritaserum, five vials each of blood-replenisher, healing potions, and nutrient potions, and one vial of Pheonix tears. She was thankful that she hadn't had to use any of the potions, save for the Veritaserum.

"What are those?" Artix asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. She smiled and explained each one as she set them back in her bag.

"This is a truth potion. It is what I used on Audis Adi yesterday morning." She explained, holding up the clear-liquid filled bottle. It sparkled and gleamed in the setting sunlight. She picked up the Phoenix Tears next.

"These are Phoenix Tears. Or, Firebird Tears. They have a healing power stronger than most of the advanced healing potions out there." They stared at it, amazed.

"This is a blood-replenishing potion, this a healing potion, and this a nutrient potion. In case we ran into serious trouble." She explained, putting them all back.

She closed the bag and attached it to her side again, standing to walk out to the edge of the cliff, scanning the encampment in the valley. It was tightly packed, and her mind began to go crazy, thinking of ways that they could minimalize damage to themselves.

"Can any of you summon anything? We need something big. An ambush would help us immensely. They are tightly grouped." She asked, not turning to them. Artix stood and nodded. Summoning and magic was his specialty, after all.

"I can summon Levi. He may not be fire-type, but he's a hard-hitter." He suggested. She nodded. The water-dragon would help quite a bit.

"As we get close, summon him. Have him concentrate on the dead, while you four focus on the commanders. I have a feeling that I will not need to search for Tazaro. He will find _me_." She stated, her grip on the tree branch tightening as she grew livid at the thought. It shattered in her fist, splaying splinters of wood everywhere. She calmed herself down.

After a minute of silence, she spoke up again.

"Promise me something, will you? You have lives here. Families to return to. If you must retreat, do it. I do not want any deaths this evening." She ordered. They nodded, even Joseph, admitting that she really was concerned for their safety, and not blindly ordering them around or trying to preserve her honor.

"Yes, ma'am!" Kalas barked, grinning. She turned to them, finally, and smiled, appreciating their agreement. They'd come a very long way since their first meeting.

As the sun's rays disappeared over the mountain, Sheeva unsheathed _Shinigami_ and _Okami ni kama_, spread her wings, and ran off the cliff, free-falling for a few minutes before catching the air, swooping up just above the ground and streaming through the forest, weaving in and out of tree trunks and bramble.

She pooled her energy to her mouth, inhaling deeply and letting out a breath of fire along the baselines of the tents set up around the edges of the encampment, setting them ablaze. She swooped up, gathered her energy, and did it again.

Panic and confusion erupted beneath her as the troops ran amok, trying to gather themselves. They raced back and forth, equipping their weapons, some with bows and arrows, other with swords. Sheeva formed a ball of energy around herself, shielding herself against some arrows aimed in her direction. As the shield's overall efficiency fell to its minimum, she flew outside of it and shot it at them. It hit the ground and popped, sending a blue pulse wave out from impact, knocking over a few of the enemies.

Artix formed his seals and punched the ground, thrusting his energy into the ground. A circular sigil burned into the ground as it rumbled and cracked. He jumped out of the way as a giant dragon flew out of the ground, rearing its teeth and letting out a mighty roar. Large claws sprouted out from its sides and it stomped down to the ground, crushing a few skeletons and terrifying some of the leaders.

Levi shot a water beam at the ground, knocking his puny enemies down and away from him. Artix rested on his back, his arms in pain from the intense summon. He'd poured more energy into the summoning than he'd hoped, but it was still effective.

Kalas weaved in and out of enemies, blocking slashes and kicking them. He grabbed a leader's head and snapped the man's neck with ease. The skeletons around the man fell to the ground, their energy source cut off. He gave a holler of excitement as he took off to aid Joseph, who'd had his hands full.

Zakkari, being more of a healer, kept his distance, casting shields of energy to surround those on his side. He ducked to avoid an axe that had been thrown at his head, and grabbed a nearby bow and quiver of arrows, shooting the skeleton that had thrown it in the head. It turned to him, outraged, and rushed at him, bones clicking and clacking as it chased him down.

He took to the air to avoid being cut as it sliced at him with its sword, knocking another arrow on the line and spitting fire at the tip of the arrow. Thankfully, it caught fire, and he shot it. It embedded itself in the ribcage, setting the skeleton on fire instantly. The skeleton ran around, flailing its arms. If it had vocal chords, he imagined it'd be screaming.

Joseph hacked away at an undead's chest and arms, slicing it off at the elbow. The undead looked at his arm, a dumbfounded expression on its face. It continued to attack blindly, and almost knocked Joseph to the ground. He'd have been dead if Kalas hadn't shown up and drove his fist through its body from behind its back, splaying decayed flesh and long-dead blood all over him.

"Oh, gross! What the hell is wrong with you?" He growled, glaring at Kalas. Kalas only smirked.

"I just saved your ass. Show a little gratitude, man!" He retorted, then ducked as Joseph jumped up, slicing over his head. The skeleton that had its axe raised above its head stopped, and its arms slid off. The blade of the axe cracked the skeleton's skull open, and it fell to the ground as a pile of bones.

"Oh. Thanks."

Joseph smirked and shook his head, taking off to chase down a leader that had taken off in fear, screaming like a little girl.

Sheeva froze momentarily. Her eyes had locked onto her target, locked in a heated sword fight with Artix, who was trying his best to fend him off with two long-bladed daggers. Artix lost his footing and fell backwards, hitting the ground hard. She swooped down and blocked the attack on the boy, shoving Tazaro backwards a few feet.

He smirked evilly as he looked back up at her.

"Sheeva, I was wondering when I'd see you again. I never imagined you'd be _fighting_ me." He taunted, spreading his wings and unsheathing his other sword, strapped to his back. He twirled it around, and jumped up into the air, rushing for her.

She parried his attack, pushing herself to the side and out of the way. Her mind was still somewhat baffled, but she came to as he rushed at her again, almost slicing a wound into her hip.

They battled in the air, keeping on each other well, evenly matched. Their weapons clashed, shooting sparks everywhere as metal ground against metal. _Okami ni kama_ glimmered a bright blue, while _Shinigami_ radiated in red, both blades bloodthirsty.

He formed a ball of dark energy around himself and shot it at her. She whipped around and felt it whiz past her head. She retaliated, a red ball of energy flying towards him at top speed. She rushed for him behind it, aiming to stab him in the chest. He knocked her sword out of the way and missed cutting off her wing as she passed.

They both dropped to the ground, glaring daggers at each other. He readied another ball of dark energy, and she, red. They shot it at each other, and the spheres of energy collided, mixing to turn a crimson red color before they exploded.

Sheeva felt herself being thrown backwards and hit the ground, her stomach getting a twisting, pulling sensation. She tried to open her eyes, but couldn't, finding that she'd hit her head somewhat hard. She rolled herself over, feeling cobblestone. She snapped her eyes open immediately, and stared in horror as she saw that she was back at Hogwarts.

Staggering, she got to her feet, stumbling as she looked around. Her vision had doubled and the view was spinning in circles. She closed her eyes for a minute, taking some calming breaths. She felt her stomach churn when she opened them.

The entire campsite had been warped back to Hogwarts, including Tazaro and her team, who were all lying on the ground, stunned, trying to place what had just happened.

Her ears rang and her head swam, and she fell to one knee, trying to gain her bearings. She looked to Tazaro. He was coming to as well, groaning as he rolled over and sat up, looking around. His eyesight was dimmed, and he could barely see three feet in front of him. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he opened them, he was relieved to find that he could see a little clearer now. He looked around, amazed.

He was in a new place, and it was _daytime_. Across the distance, he could barely make out Sheeva's blurred form, leaned on one knee.

"Sheeva…" He spoke, his words slurring. He watched as Sheeva grabbed something from her pocket and opened it, downing it like a shot. She stood, and leaned against a statue of an old man, weakened. Angrily, Tazaro reached for the nearest captain, grabbed the back of his neck, and dug his claw into it, draining the man of energy. The man cried out and then fell limp, dead.

Tazaro stood, energy renewed, but then fell back to his knees, dizzied from trying to stand too quickly.

Sheeva was limping over to Zakkari, determined to get her healer back up to snuff. She rolled him over and sat him up, holding a potion to his lips and pouring the foul-tasting liquid in his mouth. He made a face as he drank it. She gave him another, and drank another for herself.

Tazaro crawled over to another live person, baring the man's neck to him. He grew fangs, and bit down, draining this man of his energy as well. He wasn't about to let them get the better of him.

Sheeva searched for Artix, and administered a healing potion to him, too. Joseph was already back on his feet, and was limping over to Kalas, trying to help him sit up and get to his feet too.

Tazaro grabbed his weapons again and spread his wings, still very much disoriented. It showed as he swayed back and forth as he staggered towards her, a drunken look on his face. Sheeva noticed, and rushed for _Okami ni kama_, picking it up tiredly.

The large wooden doors opened behind her, and she turned her head, scared. Her family stepped out, including Kathryn. All were relieved to see her, but then looked at her in terror as they saw the state that she was in. She shook her head.

"No, stay inside!" She barked at them. Tazaro heard the foreign language, looked over her shoulder, and scowled.

So it was as Balthazar said. She _had_ betrayed him, and run away to a new world.

He raged, and rushed at her. She turned back and screamed, caught slightly off guard as he sliced at her head. She backed off, and the blade sheared off a lock of her hair instead. It fell to the ground, forgotten. She continued to jump back as he hacked away at her relentlessly. He turned his blade around and jabbed her in the stomach with the handle, knocking the wind out of her.

He grabbed her by the throat as she doubled over, pulling her close to him, staring her in the eye.

"Tell me. This is where you've been all these years?" He demanded to know. She could only look him in the eye, stunned.

"Tazaro, I—she stopped as he tightened his grip on her throat, choking her. She made to knee him between the legs to get him off of her, but dropped his sword and slapped her leg out of the way, moving between her legs and pinning her to the stone wall.

"No. No! It can't be true! I crawled through hell, searching for you. You betrayed me! You gave up on _me! _Forgot _me_!" He yelled, forming a sign and restraining her hands to the stone wall with the vines that grew up it. He heard two of the humans shouting something, and knocked a green light of energy away with a wave of his hand. The lights embedded themselves into the cobblestone and died.

"Do not attack him! You will only provoke him!" Sheeva choked out. Tazaro turned his attention back on her. He released his grip on her neck slightly, some sense returning to his clouded mind. He calmed as he saw the chain she wore, and traced his hand along it, hooking his finger beneath it and pulling it out from beneath her shirt.

He scowled as he saw that it wasn't his. It was someone else's. He looked back at her, hurt and fury in his blue eyes. He grabbed it in his fist and yanked the chain, breaking it and throwing it aside. It gave a metallic clang as it bounced along the ground.

"No, Sheeva, you're _mine_. You belong to _me_!" He hissed, tilting her head up to meet his as he crushed his lips against hers in a bruising kiss. She squeezed her eyes shut and tightened her hand into a fist, wanting to push him off of her, to get him away from her. This wasn't them anymore, she knew.

He was blindsided with a punch to his cheek, and thrown off of her, landing to the left a few feet. Blaise was glaring at him, seething with fury.

"Get your bloody hands off of our wife!" He shouted. The vines binding Sheeva to the wall started to recede, and Sheeva fell off of it.

Blaise caught her and held her steady, walking them backward a few feet. Tazaro stood up, rubbing his cheek where Blaise had hit him, impressed with the human's strength. Tazaro jumped into the air and rose up, forming a spear of energy, splitting it into two and firing slivers of them at Sheeva and her family.

She went to block them, but found that Artix had rushed between the two, knocking the spears of energy to the ground. Tazaro clapped his hands and the spears exploded, throwing Artix forward and Sheeva and Blaise backwards.

Sheeva rushed for Tazaro's sword as he dove for it, managing to kick it out of the way. He threw a punch at her and she pushed it aside, retaliating. They threw punches and kicks at each other, waves of red and black energy being shot from their palms and dispersing into the air.

Sheeva managed to hit him in the chest with her palm, and rose her hand, jabbing him in the same spot with her fingers, injecting some of her energy into his body. He stumbled backwards and caught her wrist as she went to attack him again, whipping around behind her and grabbing her by the collar to throw her across the cobblestone. She rolled over at the feet of her family.

Artix rushed in front of her, dagger in hand, trying to ensure that she could recover quickly and continue to protect her family. He formed a few seals and shot a yellow mist at Tazaro. Tazaro formed a bubble of energy and absorbed the mist, shooting it back at Sheeva's family.

Headed straight for Nayeli, Artix pushed her out of the way and the sphere hit him, exploding. He barely had time to move before his body petrified, turning completely to stone.

"Oh, Artix." Sheeva muttered sadly. She barely had time to think though, as Tazaro rushed for her again. She rolled out of the way as he punched the ground where her head had just been, and threw out a kick at his knee.

Severus and Nayeli had rushed out to grab a sword, and both headed for Tazaro, trying to get him away from their mother. Draco and Blaise cried out in fear as they watched their twins engage in the fight.

Tazaro jumped backward, whistled, and his swords returned to his hand just in time for him to block Severus, who'd attacked him from above. Nayeli swooped up from below, and he dodged her attack too, flying out of their reach.

As the other teammates gained their bearings and went to fight, Tazaro summoned his skeletons, diverting the majority of their attention on the new foes below. Nayeli and Severus ignored them below, and continued to pursue the man, attacking from left and right, below and above.

To their exhaustion, he was able to block everything they threw at him. Tazaro hit Severus in the back of his head with the handle of the sword, and Severus began to fall. He then rushed for Nayeli.

Kathryn saw Severus falling and rushed out, taking out her wand and shouting "Arresto Momentum", stopping him before he could hit the ground. She gently guided him inside the school, and then turned her attention to the skeletons around her.

"Use fire, girl!" Kalas barked, punching the head clean off a skeleton. It flailed around, waving its sword blindly. Kathryn ducked as a skeleton sliced at her head, pointing her wand at it, shouting out a surprised "bombarda!" The skeleton flew backward and hit one of the stone pillars, shattering and flinging bone everywhere.

"Huître, use fire!" Sheeva told her, translating what Kalas had said as she grabbed _Okami ni kama _from Severus' hands and took to the sky, trying to catch Tazaro's attention. Kathryn nodded, and focused, a jet of fire streaming from the end of her wand. As it grew, a giant wolf of fire took form, rushing around and biting into the skeletons with its powerful jaws.

Kalas, Zakkari, and Joseph ran away, wide-eyed as the wolf bounded after them, confusing friend from foe. Kathryn ran back too, turning to face the fire fiend as it growled at her. She smirked, and waved her wand.

"Glacius!" She commanded, sending jets of ice straight through the creature's body, impaling it to the ground. It whined at her, and sizzled out of existence as the ice melted. She turned around and grinned at her professors, then began to jump for joy, pleased with herself. The strangers were impressed too, and they nodded at her to show it.

"Tazaro! Leave my daughter alone!" Sheeva barked, wedging herself between Nayeli and Tazaro.

"Nayeli, take care of Severus." She ordered, taking _Shinigami _back from Nayeli. Nayeli obeyed and flew back down to the others. Sheeva looked back at a stunned Tazaro, who almost looked back at her sadly.

"That's your daughter?" He asked, seeming to come to his senses. Slowly, Sheeva nodded.

"Yes, Tazaro, that is my daughter. The man that you knocked out was my son." She admitted. Tazaro's eyes widened, and he shook his head. Where was Kadie?

"Kadie was killed, Tazaro. She was killed because we made her, a beautiful little girl, a mix of two races. We tempted society… and they killed us for it." She explained, able to tell what he was thinking. He stared at her, confused. He began to fall to the ground, and she followed, landing on her feet gracefully.

"They… killed her?" He asked, blinking, still trying to grasp her words. She nodded again.

"Zarkas murdered her in front of my very eyes, Tazaro. He even threw your pocket watch at my feet. That is when I knew… when I was forced to accept that you were dead." She had tears in her eyes, and she looked down at the ground in shame. Tazaro blinked, barely holding onto his sword, tears of his own falling down his cheeks.

He'd never see Kadie, no matter what. She didn't get the chance to grow up, like he'd spent _years _imagining. He barley felt his sword fall from his hand, crying out in anguish and clawing at his hair, furious.

"I don't understand! How'd you get here? _Why?_ You abandoned our memory!" He yelled, confused. She shook her head again.

"No, Tazaro. I was banished. I cannot die here. The gods have granted me immortality, and after… twelve-thousand years, I can bear children again. I never abandoned our memories. I kept them close to my heart, but I… had to move on. Finally, I could start again, have the family that they took away." She muttered.

He collapsed, falling to his knees, clawing at his head still, letting out a howl of pain. He looked up at her, angry, his eyes turned dark. He formed a few seals and shot a sphere of energy in the air. It expanded, and a sigil appeared. From the heavens descended a giant winged, lion-like beast, roaring as it swooped down and then up to stand on its hind legs.

"Oh, shit!" Joseph blurted, backing away in fear. Zakkari backed away too, and so did Kalas. Draco, Blaise, and Nayeli stared at it, amazed. Kathryn helped Severus stand, and let out a startled cry as she saw the creature.

"What the hell is that thing?" Nayeli asked the strangers, pointing at it. Zakkari looked at her, and then back at the monstrous summon. He knocked an arrow on the line, mentally preparing himself.

"Brahma." He explained. They all looked back at it, scared.

"We've lost Artix. If Sheeva can't summon, we're done for. I think Zakkari's got the good idea this time." Kalas muttered, readjusting his knuckle guards.

"Yeah, well, we can't let a woman best us at _everything_, now, can we, Kalas?" Joseph added, more of a joking tone than he would have held a month ago. He formed a sign and split his sword into two.

"What? You're fighting too?" Kalas teased, sending Joseph a smirk. Joseph only chuckled and smirked back.

Draco kept a tight grip on his wand and stood among them. Blaise, Severus, Nayeli, and Kathryn stood with them. Joseph arched an eyebrow at the dark-skinned man, opening his mouth as he was trying to remember his name. He gave up, and settled with a slight nod of his head.

The summon crossed its arms and stared down at Sheeva, a long, bladed tail whipping around behind it. Its body was covered in scales, and its eyes were a deep yellow. It smirked down at her, mocking the puny woman.

"Tazaro… what have you done? Summoning Brahma. Controlling the dead. You… didn't make a _deal_, did you?" She asked, ignoring the summon and staring at Tazaro as calmly as she could, sadness still in her eyes.

Tazaro doubled over, and his back split open. A large, shadowy figure rose out of his back, and Tazaro fell to the ground, unconscious. The figure spread its wings, outstretching its arms.

"Poor thing. All he wanted was to see you again, Sheeva Jules. Imagine his surprise and happiness when he'd learned that you were alive and well. But then… pity, you'd moved on. How could he have ever known? Ever even guessed?" The figure said in a rumbling deep voice. Sheeva glared at the figure, scowling as the pieces clicked into place. It all made sense now.

"So… you took advantage of him. Why?" She demanded. The figure sneered and waved his hand, gaining a physical entity. The man was near seven foot tall, towering over Sheeva, amused with the way that she kept eye contact with him. Attempting to intimidate her even more, he spread his black feathered wings. His wingspan was almost twice his height from tip to tip. When he let them down, they almost touched the ground, if they didn't curl around his calves.

He had long black hair that sleeked down his broad shoulders, and an armguard strapped to his neck, protecting his left shoulder. A long blade, perhaps six feet long, was clutched menacingly in his hand. He chuckled at her, a devious grin on his face. His eyes were a dull grey, with catlike slits for pupils.

"Well? What are you going to do, Jules? I'll destroy you. Destroy your family. Just as Zarkas did years ago…" He disclosed, raising his hand. Dark clouds rolling in, circling around to a point in the middle of the sky. Lightning struck, and he raised his sword, catching a bolt in the blade and charging it. Sheeva rushed at him.

He blocked her, sparks of electricity discharging from his blade and dispersing into the air. The temperatures rose and the water dissipated, nature being disrupted from their fight. He was almost too fast for Sheeva to keep up with. She was already tired from her previous fighting as well as getting thrashed about.

As she went to stab him in the side, he pushed her blade to the side, stepped in close, and kicked her in the chest, sending her flying into the air. She threw her wings out, catching the air and swooping back down. He formed a sign and snapped his head in her direction. Time seemed to freeze, and she blinked, confused.

In the next second, she screamed in pain. She fell to one knee, cradling a wound in her shoulder and chest, as well as many cuts and gashes along her limbs. The man was behind her, blade above his head. He turned, and smirked at her. She achingly turned her head back to look at him.

Mind blown, she tried to stand, but fell again, panting.

"Face the facts, Sheeva Jules. You may best a human, a wizard, and even those of your own kind. But no matter what the gods may give you, you will _never_ best one of us." He taunted. She growled, and went to attack him again, combining her swords. _Shinigami's_ blade jutted out from _Okami ni kama's _mouth, almost like a tongue.

She leaped into the air, sword raised above her head, ready to strike. He simply lifted his sword, impaling her on it as he drove it through her torso, beneath her right breast. She cried out in pain, dropping her sword and gripping the blade of his, trying to push herself off of it.

He launched her into the air, picked up her sword, and vanished, reappearing behind her and slicing at her again, cutting her enough only to draw blood, wanting to draw his time of toying with her out as long as he could.

He did a front-flip and slammed her into the ground with the _Okami-Shinigami _mix. She hit the ground with such a force that any normal person's body would have been broken beyond repair. He then lodged her sword down, stabbing her once again with her own sword. He folded in his wings and landed on the handle, driving it further through and sinking it into the stone of the courtyard.

She coughed, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. She fought hard to push the sword out of the ground and her body to no avail. She was glued to that particular spot. Her body gave out and her sight dimmed. She slipped away into darkness calmly, ready to bide her time in her field of purgatory.

"MOM!" Nayeli and Severus barked out, running out into the field, tears in their eyes. The summoning turned its head, and rushed for them. Nayeli jumped up to avoid a massive swipe of its claw and caught the air, dashing upward as it lashed again with the other claw.

She dived, kicked the giant creature in the face. It whined at her, and swiped at her with a claw again, knocking her aside. She pushed herself off of the paw and ran up the creature's arm again, giving it another kick to its jaw.

Severus had run up to it and focused a sphere of energy encircling his fist and jumped at it, punching it in the stomach. The energy exploded and sent the creature off of its feet and backwards, to the ground. The foundations rumbled with the fall, and the humans fought to stay standing.

"What, did she train her kids, too? Ruthless!" Joseph barked, impressed with their work. At this rate, they wouldn't have to fight at all.

The creature bellowed, grabbed Severus and threw him off of its chest, kicked itself off the ground and leapt into the air.

"Impressive, humans." It called down to them. It sucked in a breath of air, leaned back, and its chest split open to reveal what looked like three rows of shotgun barrels. They fired a volley of shots at them. Severus and Nayeli jumped and glided as fast as they could out of the way.

"Protego!" Blaise called out, shielding them as Brahma aimed just ahead of them.

The volley of shots stopped, and Brahma spread its wings, flapping them furiously. The dust that had kicked up was gusted away, and the beast grinned, still impressed with their quick movements. He'd have to try harder.

Draco pointed his wand at a large stone that had broken from one of the pillars, levitated it into the air, and shot it upwards, launching it at Brahma. Brahma caught it easily, and chucked it back. It rolled along the ground and smashed into the wall next to the entrance. Draco watched it roll, and then snapped his head back at the beast, out of ideas.

Kalas caught their attention, and motioned for them to stay. With a wave of his hand, he beckoned Joseph and Zakkari to follow.

They took to the air and surrounded Brahma, each forming seals of their own and firing a spell at him, almost too quick for Brahma to avoid. Zakkari's hit first, stunning Brahma long enough for the other two to contact. Joseph's bound the creature's arms and legs together, locking them down. Kalas' hit Brahma's wings, ripping massive holes in them, grounding him.

Brahma fell to the courtyard ground, smashing the statue of Dumbledore.

Joseph dove, sword pointed at the massive beast's chest. He drove it through to the hilt, jerking it downward as he continued to fall, a large gash ripped into the side of it, splaying even more warm sticky deep-red blood on him. He grimaced and shuddered, grossed out.

Kalas dove as well, punching the wind out of Brahma, swooping up and diving down three more times, shocking the summon with each hit. Brahma bellowed out in pain with each strike.

Zakkari had shot a sphere of light in the sky, shattering the darkness. He charged an arrow and took aim, but relaxed as rays of concentrated sunlight circled around him, collecting in the bow and arrow, transforming it from a meager, cheap, hunter's bow into a white, elegant and sleek bow, almost twice what it had been before. The arrow glimmered, radiating with the concentration of energy.

Zakkari smirked. This would do nicely. He pulled back the string, locking it into place underneath his jaw. He waited for Kalas to finish his battering before releasing the arrow.

It sailed through the air, letting out an earsplitting whistle as it flew. It embedded itself in Brahma's forehead, straight between its eyes. Brahma tensed, paralyzed. The arrow glimmered and injected energy into Brahma's body. His body swelled before lysing, turning into will-o-wisps of green. They watched, grinning proudly as the spheres floated into the sky, disappearing into the atmosphere.

Balthazar grabbed the handle of _Okami-shinigami _and ripped it out of the ground, rushing at Kalas. Kalas didn't have time to react as Balthazar kicked him in the chest, zipping behind him and impaling him on _Shinigami's _long blade. He whipped the blade around, sending Kalas' body flying.

It would have hit the wall, but Draco stopped it with a halting spell, and gently set it down. Joseph nodded, thanking him for helping to preserve their friend's now dead body. Zakkari flew down, checking Kalas' vitals. Sure enough, he was dead, his eyes lifeless. Zakkari sighed, and shut the eyelids closed.

He looked to Artix's stone statue, and then back at Kalas. He felt an immense anger overtake him. Zakkari stood sharply, turned on his heel, and knocked another arrow on the line. Joseph readied himself too, feeling the same rage. This bastard was picking them off one by one, and the humans couldn't do a damn thing to defend themselves.

Severus and Nayeli felt a tugging at their pants, and looked down. Their brother, with tears in his eyes, looked up at them. He reached around and lifted a sword into Nayeli's hands. She unsheathed it, and examined it closely. The blade was shiny, thick and new, the hilt made of gold and shaped like the head of a lion. The blade extended from the lion's open mouth. The handle was wrapped in red and gold trimmings for the colors of Gryffindor. Shocked, she looked back at him.

He handed another to Severus, who to accepted it gratefully and examined it. It was almost an arm's length, with a thin, but sturdy looking blade. There was a thin green line along the middle of it in the design of a slithering snake. The hilt was silver and in the shape of a snake's head, opened and appearing ready to strike. The handle was wrapped in emerald and silver trimmings for Slytherin. Severus grinned, amazed at his brother's crafting skills. Jeffrey never ceased to amaze.

"I've been working on these since last week, Sevy, Sissy." He explained. They beamed down at him, and knelt down to hug him, showering him with thanks for their gift. He smiled, and then glanced out at the battlefield, searching for his mother.

Draco and Blaise held him back, Blaise's hand covering Jeffrey's eyes.

"No, you go back inside. Go, Jeffrey." Draco ordered. Jeffrey protested.

"Where's mommy?" He cried out, fighting them. At this, Draco picked him up and carried him inside, trying to get him away from the site.

Blaise looked at Severus and Nayeli, a pleading look in his eyes. They looked back at him, and gave him a smile.

"Dad, we've got to. Mom's… dead." Severus sniffled, tears falling down his face.

"And if they die too, we're the only hope you've got, Dad." Nayeli continued, tears in her eyes too as Severus' words hit her.

Blaise could only look at them, lost for words. He found his voice.

"No, Sheeva's not—

-Go inside, Dad. Don't come out." Severus snapped sternly. Nayeli huffed, glaring at her father. She caught Kathryn's eyes.

"Kathryn, take him inside. We got this." She told her. Kathryn stared back at them, fearful.

"But, what if—

"Kathryn, go." Severus pleaded, moving to her and pulling her into a tight hug. He kissed her forehead, and rested his chin on the top of her head, running his fingers through her hair.

"Protect yourself. Protect my father. Because Nayeli and I are asking you… and… it's the right thing to do." He hated swaying her like this, but he knew it was the only way that he'd get her out of there and away from harm.

Kathryn tensed, and slowly nodded her head. She broke away from Severus and turned to Blaise, setting a comforting hand on his arm. He protested again, and she drew her wand on him.

"Professor, you and I are going inside. Now. I will hex you if I have to, sir." She ordered. Blaise gaped at her, and then stole a last look at the twins before turning on his heel, grumbling.

"Sheeva's not dead!" He barked behind him at them. They shook their heads sadly at their father's refusal to accept the truth. No one could recover from the damage that the bastard had done. No one could survive being stabbed in the chest. They'd even seen her eyes close in defeat. She wasn't coming back, ever.

Severus and Nayeli caught their target in their sights, rushing out boldly. Severus jumped and took to the air while Nayeli kept on the ground, their hearts pounding in their chests as they went to aid in the fight.

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Well, I hope that you like it. It is a long chapter, and I've had a strike of writer's block lately...


	15. Chapter 15

The closure to this battle of epicness... :)

Enjoy and Please Review!

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Joseph and Zakkari had weakened the man considerably, but found that they were beginning to wear down. Joseph was staggering, dizzied as he did a flip backwards to avoid a slash at his stomach. He tripped and fell on his ass, barely able to pick up his sword.

The man leaped, aiming to stab Joseph in the chest. Joseph changed the way he held his sword, able to knock the edge of the blade to the side, last minute. The six-foot blade stabbed him in the shoulder and his arm fell to the ground, disabled. He groaned out in pain.

The man landed on him, standing on Joseph's chest, sneering down at him. He jerked the sword out of Joseph's chest and held it above Joseph's neck, dangling it there for a few seconds. The man's eyes widened and he groaned, reaching around him to pull an arrow out of his armguard. Zakkari smirked.

The man went to stab Joseph in the neck before turning on Zakkari, but was kicked aside by Nayeli, whose boot connected with the side of his face, throwing him off of Joseph. She held out a hand for Joseph to take, helping him to stand. Severus formed a sign and cast a simple healing spell on the cut. Joseph smiled at the two, nodding to them in thanks.

They took off, teaming up on the man, stabbing and slicing with their swords. He was still able to keep up with them, as they were still new to the practice. He grinned and toyed with them, teasing them. He'd enjoy taking them from Sheeva as well.

Joseph bent down to pick up his blade with his right hand, but frowned as he realized that he still couldn't use it. Instead, he picked it up with his left, leaning it against his leg while he shrugged his arm out of the sleeve of his robes, creating a make-shift sling for his disabled arm. Joseph picked up his blade and rested it on his shoulder.

He slumped to the ground again, breathing heavily and struggling to maintain the weight of his blade on his shoulder. Zakkari noticed, and pointed at the door.

"Go, Joseph. We're the last two. I don't want anyone else dying. Go get yourself some help. One of those potions that Sheeva used, they should have more." He ordered. Joseph scowled at him and shook his head, pushing past him and attempting to aid Severus and Nayeli. Zakkari stopped him, grabbing the back of his cowl and pulling him.

"Don't be _stupid_, Joseph. You promised Sheeva that you'd retreat if you needed to. Respect her memory, and do as I say. You're almost done for, which makes me your captain now." He ordered again. Joseph growled and shrugged Zakkari off, heading again for the fight. Zakkari sighed, charged some energy to his palm and hit Joseph in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Sorry, friend, but I had to." He apologized, snapping his fingers and teleporting Joseph's limp body into the castle. Zakkari then turned back to the fight, grabbing another arrow and putting it on the line. He turned his head to check how many he had left. Unfortunately, only three.

He'd have to make every one of them count.

Nayeli blocked an attack aimed for her head, and the force of it pushed her back. Severus dove, landing on the man's back as he charged for Nayeli, crushing him into the ground. Severus tried to stab the man in the back of the neck as they impacted, but he lost his footing and stabbed the man in his wing instead. The man howled, as it'd gone through the arch of his wing, snapping it.

Severus rolled and skidded to a halt. He snapped his head back up as the man recovered quickly and rushed at him, outraged now. Severus jumped into the air, and the man rebounded off of the pillar, chasing after Severus.

Zakkari aimed an arrow and fired it, hoping to hit the man in the chest. It missed, hitting the man's arm.

The man stopped, examining his surroundings. He was caught in the middle of the three, Nayeli to his left, Severus to his right, and Zakkari in front of him. He smirked, and brought his hands together, forming a multitude of seals. His hands were devilishly fast; they almost couldn't discern what they were.

_Severus, that spell that we found in Mom's book. Should we try it? _Nayeli asked, readying herself. Severus nodded slightly and readied himself too. Together, they formed the seals as quickly as they could. Severus fumbled on the last, spells being his weak points. Nayeli completed the string, and her hands glowed with a white, ethereal light.

Zakkari saw what the twins were doing, and, thinking that she was only going to pummel the man to a pulp, stomped the cobblestone, sending a snakelike wave of energy to wrap around the man's foot, grounding him for a few seconds. The snake traveled up the man's body and strangled him. Zakkari held fast, trying to ignore the burning in his arms.

"Fire it, Nayeli!" Severus called out. Nayeli shot the spheres at the man, and they collided, sinking into the man's body and traveling straight to his head. Nayeli closed her eyes, and felt a strange pulling sensation. She waited for a few minutes, and felt another warm glow spread throughout her body. She opened her eyes, and gasped, smirking.

"I did it!" She barked. Severus stared back at her in amazement, proud of his sister. Zakkari stared back at her in fear.

"What have you done? That's dangerous, don't you know that?" He barked at her. She didn't understand him, but the way that his voice sounded screamed at her: _Trouble._

A darkness rose from deep within, intimidating Nayeli greatly. She glanced at her body; it was on the ground, slumped over, her sword held loosely in her hand.

_So, you are toying with astral projection, little girl? Impressive, but foolish._ His voice taunted her. She looked around, wondering where the voice had come from, and then realized that it was coming from within. She smirked, and grabbed his sword, holding it outstretched for a minute, examining the blade. She turned it around, and went to stab the man's body, but found that she was being stopped.

Zakkari had immobilized her.

"Do you know nothing of astral projection? You kill him, you die too! He dies, you die too!" He tried to explain. Nayeli only stared at him, confused. She couldn't understand what he was saying. Zakkari growled, and held the spell with one hand while pointing at the man's body that she was occupying, using his thumb to motion his neck being sliced open. He then pointed at her body, and signed the same thing.

Her mouth dropped open. She hadn't realized. They couldn't have known.

"Shit." She cursed.

The dark voice laughed at her again.

_Such a foolish little girl. I shall enjoy making you watch as I kill your family. You cannot stop me._ The voice cackled. She felt herself being pushed aside and pushed down, cramped in the confines of the man's body. She tried to fight back, but he was too strong for her. She trembled in the darkness, echoes of the surroundings ringing in her ears.

She felt herself being jerked around, and could only guess that the man had moved to attack Zakkari or Severus. She panicked, trying again to retake control so that she could cast the spell again and migrate to her own body.

_Nayeli, get out of there!_ She heard Severus's voice call, followed by his bloodcurdling scream. She snapped open her eyes, shoving the man out of the way. He fought back, rushing to Nayeli's body and kicking it across the yard. She was shoved back again, this time somewhere to his arm.

She froze, and let out a whimper as she saw a picture of Severus' mangled body in her mind's eye, and cowered, her confidence gone. Her brother, now dead. Soon after, a picture of Zakkari followed, holding his severed head in his hands.

She felt herself being jerked around again, and thought she heard the doors to Hogwarts open. She tried again to stop the man, shoving him out of control.

On the outside, Severus watched at the man fought with Nayeli's spirit, staggering around like a drunk. The man tripped on his feet and fell over. He stood back up and shook his head, picking up his sword again and rushing for Severus.

"Nayeli, get out of there!" Severus barked as he parried an attack. The man leapt at him, but Zakkari fired an arrow, embedding it in the man's chest. The man cried out and ripped the arrow out of the side of his chest, continuing to rush for Severus. He grabbed Severus by the neck and threw him into a nearby pillar, knocking him out.

Severus fell to the ground, out. Zakkari grimaced, and readied his third arrow, aiming between the man's eyes, intent on killing his target, regardless of whether Nayeli's spirit was still in control. War was war, and there would be casualties. He fired it, and the man caught it in midair, snapping it with a tightening of his fist.

Zakkari's face fell, and he leapt into the air, diving at the man and firing the last arrow he had at close range. It embedded itself in the man's stomach, and he grunted, grabbed it, and ripped it out without hesitance. He laughed, eyes dark with excitement and malice.

Zakkari saw the man's eyes glance towards the door, and rushed to guard it, forming some signs and bracing himself. As the man neared him, he grabbed onto him, biting into his neck. A giant stone claw rose up out of the ground and clasped around the both of them, squeezing the life out of the both of them.

"Not gonna do this, you bastard! This is for Artix, Kalas, and Sheeva!" Zakkari hissed. The claw gripped tighter. The man focused, and sent a bit of energy to his sword that had fallen out of his hand when the claw snatched him. It levitated, and he drove it straight through Zakkari's heart and through the man's torso just above his stomach.

Zakkari's eyes widened, and he felt his power start to drain. He spit up blood as the sword pulled itself out. The claw, no longer having the power-feed from its controller, released the two of them. Zakkari fell to his knees and then to his side, fighting to keep his eyes open. His body would no longer listen, and he felt a few tears fall, shamefully admitting his failure.

"Sorry… Captain…" He muttered, his eyes closing slightly. They snapped open as the man stabbed Zakkari in the temple. Blood cascaded out of the wound, and pooled out onto the floor.

The man jerked his blade out, and sneered, wiping it off on Zakkari's robes.

"Pathetic healer…" The man muttered, continuing on his way into the school. He pushed at the doors, and when they didn't budge, he smirked. They couldn't keep him out.

He shot a fireball at the door, shattering the aged wood into splinters. He paused, staring at the many mixed faces staring back at him. Some of confusion, some of fear, others of anger. He began to chuckle. So many innocents. He brandished his blade, eyes glimmering with bloodlust.

Draco and Blaise were standing in front, trembling slightly, wands pointed at him. Jeffrey and Kathryn were nowhere to be found, Draco and Blaise having ordered them to run and hide.

"Stay the fuck away, you bloody bastard!" Draco bellowed, raising his arm and casting a killing curse at the man. This would draw the attention of the ministry, but he couldn't care less. This bastard was destroying their family, and about to destroy everyone else, as well.

The man knocked it aside with a flick of his sword, amused. He spread his arms, egging Draco to attack even more.

"Your wife is dead. Your son is dead. Your daughter is trapped within due to her own folly attempts at stopping me." The man said in English. Draco and Blaise's eyes widened, and they froze, stunned. The man took a step forward, and they shrunk back, their courage shattered.

Nayeli looked up from her space upon hearing her father's voice, and felt a new spark of hope arise. She jumped up from her crouching, and knocked the man's spirit aside, regaining control. She quickly raised the man's sword and turned it, impaling herself with it, crying out in pain. The man cried out too, and fought back.

He grabbed the handle and tried to pull it out, his muscles stuck as she prevented him from doing so. She raised her knee and pushed him aside, jerking the sword further through. She twisted it, and her strength gave out.

The man shoved her aside, and in doing so, he threw himself to the ground. Breathing jaggedly and shaking, he pushed himself up onto his knees, staring up at the two men that stood in his way. His eyesight was blurred, and his head spun, dizzy from the blood-loss.

He tried to raise his arms to remove the blade, but they wouldn't listen. He growled, and stared at them, his face turning into a wicked, eerie grin. Blaise stepped in, pointed his wand at the man, and muttered: _Avada Kedavra_. A green light shot out of the wand, and hit him in the chest.

Draco looked up, and after checking to make sure that the bastard was really dead, he rushed out to follow Blaise as they ran out to check on the scene. Blaise stopped, and Draco bumped into him, and then looked around him, horrified at what he saw.

It was the battle of Hogwarts all over again. Draco rushed to Severus' body shaking him, terrified. The man couldn't have been telling the truth. He couldn't have.

Blaise rushed over to Nayeli's body, shaking her, hoping that she would wake. He cast a vitals charm, and read the writing that appeared above her head. It signaled that she was merely asleep. He sighed, relieved, and scooped her up into his embrace, rocking her and holding her tightly.

Draco called out to Severus, clearing away a trail of blood trickling down from his head with a flick of his wand. He reached into his pocket, fishing around for the replenishing potions he'd brought with him from their office, unstopped it, and held it to Severus' lips, tilting it back. It dribbled into Severus' mouth, the viscosity of the potion being as thick as cream of wheat.

"Severus, please, wake up, please." Draco begged, tears filling his eyes as he shook him again. Severus coughed, a little bit of the potion tickling the back of his throat. He made a face as he tasted the awful stuff, and slowly opened his eyes, looking around.

"What… What happened?" He asked, confused and out of phase.

Draco smiled and chuckled, pulling Severus into a hug, burying his face in his son's shoulder and crying into it.

"I'm so happy you're ok! I was beginning to fear…" He stopped and trailed off. Severus weakly held his father back, and then coughed again, needing air.

"Dad, you're smothering me." He muttered. Draco apologized and backed off, helping Severus to stand. Severus staggered and almost collapsed, but Draco stood his ground. Severus looked up to see Blaise, carrying Nayeli. Severus' face twisted to one of fear.

"What happened to the man? Is he alive? Is he dead? She used a projection spell. And that guy, he— Severus stopped as he looked around and spotted Zakkari, lying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood on the steps to the front door. The front door had been smashed open.

"She's asleep." Blaise explained, looking in the direction where Severus' face was. He gulped too, trying to keep the contents of his stomach down.

Severus snapped his head back to look for his mother, and he broke away from Draco, stumbling over to her weakly. He collapsed to his knees, crying aloud, mourning the loss. He grasped her cloak, leaning over her and weeping into her chest, his body being racked with heavy sobs and sniffles.

"I tried to tell them. They don't believe me." Blaise muttered to Draco. Draco crossed his arms, hugging himself.

"What if—

-no, Draco. Don't even… finish that sentence." Blaise hissed, his gut tightening in fear as well. They hadn't seen her die, and now that she'd been back to Kadessa, they wondered if the previous spell keeping her immortal was still in effect.

Blaise shifted Nayeli around. Being almost 40, this wasn't as easy as it'd used to be.

"You should take her to the hospital wing. I'll take care of Severus." Draco dismissed him, walking towards their bawling son.

Blaise nodded and walked back inside. He paused to look at the corpse of the man, and scowled. He turned away and continued walking.

Draco knelt down beside Severus and then shifted to sit down, pulling Severus beside him and setting a comforting arm around his shoulders. Honestly, Draco was surprised that Severus even had the energy to cry at this moment. Draco pushed a lock of hair out of Sheeva's face, trailing his finger along her cheek.

"You know, Sev, the man that you were named after… he cried over your mother too. It was the only time Blaise or I had ever seen him cry. She was so close to death, it… we were so worried. Even though we knew she couldn't die." He muttered. Severus paused, and sniffled, looking up at Draco.

"What do you mean, she can't die?" He asked, confused. Draco smiled. He must not have remembered.

"She told you, the night that she told you what you and Nayeli were. She is immortal. Her gods granted her that gift, so that she could protect humanity." He explained. Severus looked back at her, and then noticed, the gash created from _Okami-Shinigami_ was healed itself slowly, hissing as the wound sealed.

Severus was amazed, watching the wound heal itself.

He gasped at a sudden thought.

"What about us?" He asked. Draco looked at him, pain in his eyes.

"I can only guess that we will die, as we all must, someday. You too, Severus. You and Nayeli." He mused, staring down at Sheeva. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a light squeeze. He was relieved when he found that it was still warm. He rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

"Do you think that you can walk? I'll need to carry her to the hospital wing." He asked, standing. Severus stood with Draco's help, and limped to the front door. Gary Nothstine was there to help him. The four of them walked to the fourth floor, having to pause every few minutes so that Severus could gain a little more strength.

Severus glanced at the occupant in one of the beds; Joseph was sound asleep, his head bandaged and a gauze pad wrapped around his shoulder. Blaise was helping the nurse take care of Nayeli, until he stepped out and drew the curtain to give them some privacy.

Blaise smiled in relief as he saw Sheeva in Draco's arms, and together, they set her in the bed next to Nayeli's, tucking her in and placing a loving kiss on her forehead. Severus watched them, smiling to himself. Almost twenty years, and they still loved each other greatly.

"Jeffrey, wait!" They heard Kathryn's voice from down the hall.

"No! I want to see my mommy!" He barked back at her, rushing down the hall as fast as his little legs could carry him. As they heard his footsteps echoing through the hall, Draco and Blaise drew the curtains quickly, just in time for Jeffrey to come barreling through the door.

Draco and Blaise held their fingers to their lips, trying to tell Jeffrey to be quiet. Severus ignored them and hurried down the corridor, throwing open the door. He had barely stepped out of it before Kathryn bumped into him. She helped him to stay standing, and then threw her arms around him as she recognized him. He hugged her back, kissing her, hard and passionately.

They broke apart, and he barely caught his breath before he kissed her again just as passionately as before.

She was propped up on the balls of her feet, and he buried his face in her neck, panting and placing soft kisses on it, stroking her curly brown hair.

"I fucking love you, Kathryn, you amazing beautiful woman." He growled, holding her tightly against him, as though she would vanish in the next second. She hugged him back, smiling.

"I love you too, Severus. You were so brave." She whispered, her mind in a jumble. She was just happy to see him, glad that he was alive. She gasped, and looked to the hospital wing.

"Nayeli?" She asked. Severus nodded.

"She's alright, she's in there, resting." He explained. She grinned, and took his hand, rushing back into the wing, relieved to see her friends. She frowned as she noticed that there were only three occupants of the four that had been left.

"He's the only one that made it?" She asked, nodding her head in Joseph's direction. Slowly and sadly, Severus and Draco nodded.

The nurse pulled back the curtain, having finished dressing Nayeli into a change of hospital clothes. She looked back at them, hesitantly.

Their stomachs twisted, and they swallowed, hard. The healer's face was stern, and it scared them.

"What?" Blaise blurted, irritated with the suspense.

"Nayeli is not asleep, Blaise Zabini. She is in a coma."

* * *

Ah, yes. More drama now, and more to come!


	16. Chapter 16

my muse deserted me...

* * *

"Daddy, what's a coma?" Jeffrey asked, looking up at his stunned father. He didn't hear the question, gaping at the healer. He glanced back at his daughter, lying peacefully in the hospital bed. Slowly, Blaise walked over to her, taking her hand and sitting down in a chair. He'd almost missed the chair entirely, out of tune with his surroundings.

True, she looked dead asleep, and her breathing was being kept stable by a tube inserted through her nose and down her windpipe. A cord trailing out from beneath her shirt was connected to a heart monitor, and an iv was stuck in her left forearm, taped down so that it would stay put.

Kathryn kneeled down to Jeffrey so that she was eye-level with him, turning his head to her.

"Jeffrey, your sister… is going to be asleep for a while, ok?" She started. Draco glanced down at the two, admiring Kathryn for taking the matter into her hands. He figured it was due to her experiences at the orphanage.

"Oh, ok. Well, that's ok. I can talk to her when she wakes up, then!" He said chirpily. Kathryn smiled and shook her head sadly. Being five, he wouldn't quite understand. He turned away to take his brother's hand, but she stopped him and turned him to her again.

"She… won't wake up for a while, Jeffrey. She may be asleep for… days. Weeks, even." She explained, staring Jeffrey in the eye, hoping that he could understand a little better. Jeffrey blinked as her words sunk in.

Jeffrey began to cry, worried that he wouldn't be able to talk to his sister again, fearing that it would be forever. Kathryn sighed pitifully at him and scooped him into a hug, patting the back of his head.

"She'll be ok, Jeffrey. We'll work hard to make sure that she's ok." She muttered, speaking for everyone, she hoped. Severus knelt down too, and Jeffrey turned to him. Severus picked him up slowly, still hurting from the fight. It showed on his face, and Draco offered to take Jeffrey from him. Severus shook his head.

Kathryn looked at the family, and nodded slowly. They needed a minute to themselves, she decided. She turned and began to walk away, stopping to look back at them.

"I'm going to the library. Need to look up a few things." She announced, continuing on her way to the old library, mulling things around in her head. There was much to be done, in so short a time.

"Did she hit her head?" Draco asked, curious as to how it could have happened. The nurse shook her head no.

"There's a few strains and bruises, but other than that, her physical body is perfectly fine. I'd like to have a professional from St. Mungo's come to examine her, if you're alright with that?" She asked. Draco and Blaise readily nodded. Anything would help. Jeffrey squirmed in Severus' arms, and he put him back down. Jeffrey rushed to Sheeva's bed and hugged her as she came to.

"Mommy!" He cried, bawling into her arms. She smiled, and sat up weakly, kissing his forehead and pulling him into her lap. She grimaced as he bumped her chest. It was still healing, and incredibly sore. She looked around, smiling at Severus and Draco and Blaise.

She saw Joseph in the bed across from her, and sighed, then looked around for the other two.

"Where are Kalas and Zakkari?" She asked, worried. Severus blinked. That was their names.

"They're… dead, Mom. That guy, he used your sword to kill the one that didn't use any weapons. I don't know what happened to the other guy. I got knocked out." Severus explained. Sheeva looked at him, and nodded slowly.

"I told them to retreat if they needed to. Artis had a wife and kids. Kalas was seeing someone. Zakkari was just a boy, no older than you, Severus." She murmured, her eyes filling with tears. Severus looked behind him at Joseph, still asleep. He probably would be for a while, considering the beating he'd taken.

"The guy with the bow knocked him out and sent him inside." Severus stated, motioning to Joseph with a shake of his head. Sheeva nodded slowly, a thought coming to her. She wouldn't disclose it, but a conversation with Zakkari and herself made more sense to her now.

"I see."

She turned her head to the sound of a steady beeping, and her eyes widened as she saw Nayeli's condition. She snapped her head back at her family, demanding an explanation. Severus sat down, preparing himself to explain even more.

"There was a spell in that book that you gave Headmaster Longbottom. We… tried to use it, and I screwed up on the last sign, but Nayeli completed it. She was able to take control of that man, and—

-She did not!" Sheeva barked, almost pleadingly. He looked at her, astonished. She began to sob, hiding her head in shame.

"I wrote that it was forbidden, for a reason!" She scolded, lying back against the pillow in exhaustion.

"What _was _it, mother?" He asked sternly, upset. She calmed herself down, and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.

"I was not expecting you two to get that far through. I was hoping to teach you when… _if_… I got back. Is he dead?" She asked. Slowly, Draco and Blaise nodded.

"I'm confused by it, but I'm guessing that she took over and stabbed herself with his sword." Blaise stated. She looked at him.

"She drove it through?" She asked. Draco and Blaise nodded again, and then took her hands. Sheeva stared at the foot of the bed in dismay and grief. She lost herself, stuck with her thoughts. Her hands ceased to grab Draco or Blaise's, and she didn't feel Jeffrey sitting in her lap. She couldn't see Severus, staring at her, fear in his emerald eyes.

_She's gone. It's done. My Nayeli… my dear, sweet Nayeli…_

Tears fell from the corners of her eyes, and she let them, not bothering to wipe them away.

Jeffrey shook her.

"Mommy, you're scaring me." Jeffrey whispered softly. Severus nodded and sat down on the bed next to them.

"You're scaring us all. What's going on?" He asked. Sheeva slowly turned her head to look at him, her face paled and pain in her eyes.

"Your sister's spirit is gone. She can't come back, Severus. I created this technique, knowing that only _I _could use it. I cannot die. But you, Severus, even though you are my child, you will die too." She muttered sadly. Severus could only stare back at his mother, frozen. Draco and Blaise cried out at her statement, Draco in fear and Blaise in anger.

"No! There's got to be a… a perk, something! She… she wasn't in control when the bastard died, we killed him ourselves! Her spirit's still alive! It's got to be!" Blaise hissed, his eyes red and puffy, gripping the quilt so that he didn't hurt anyone else. Sheeva closed her eyes, her heart breaking.

When she didn't respond, Blaise stood sharply and rushed out, racing down the steps and to the man's body. It'd been moved, the sword taken out and set aside. The body was leaning against the wall. Blaise shook it.

"Nayeli, if you're there, please, show it. Say something. _Do _something. Come on, you rebel!" He pleaded, stopping when nothing happened. The onlookers were staring at him as though he were crazy.

He gave up trying and leaned himself against the wall, sobbing into his hands.

* * *

Kathryn stared at the door in the back of the library, thinking. Every disarming charm that she'd thought of wouldn't dispel the ward, and she was growing frustrated. She yelled and hurled a book at it out of anger.

She sat herself down on the floor and crossed her arms, thinking. She'd said that she'd be researching, but she wanted to see if there was something that this mirror could do. Maybe, it could show her the answer, and save her all the reading. The book that she'd thrown was thrown back at her a few seconds later, and she covered her head with her hands to protect it.

This was nothing new, but she'd forgotten about this peculiar aspect of the ward in her anger.

She growled, and headed for the medical section of the library, scanning among the many books. When she didn't find one specifically for the nervous system, she sighed, and grabbed the first five off of the shelf at the bottom. She'd have to do this the hard way.

She curled herself up in a chair and began to read, skimming through the table of contents to help narrow down her search. When Severus got out of the hospital, she'd ask him for help, as well as Draco, thinking that there might be a potion to help speed the process recovering whatever nerve damage Nayeli had suffered.

Severus. Her lips tingled at the thought of his name, remembering the way that he'd kissed her outside of the hospital wing. It sent a jolt everywhere down her body.

She shook her head to clear it, and went back to reading, finding her determination once more. She'd read the whole damn library if she had to. Hell, she'd sneak her way into the restricted section. She smirked at the thought. Goody little two-shoes, sneaking into the restricted section for the sake of her friend. Yup, that was justified well enough.

* * *

Yeah... nothing more to say. we all have our days of "durr".


	17. Chapter 17

Kagure Bakhrieva stared at the wreckage around, and his mouth parted in a slight gasp. Artix: petrified, appearing to have been guarding someone. Zakkari: dead. Kalas: dead. A shell of Tazaro, 'dead'. There were two unclaimed swords, a red and gold trimmed, and a green and silver trimmed. He picked them both up, examining their build. They'd been crafted well.

Another glint caught his eye, and he turned towards it. He bent down and picked up another trinket: a wedding ring on a silver chain, a torn chain link dangling off of the end. It was a pretty ring, a diamond set into the golden frame, with an encryption engraved on the inside of the band.

Lying on the steps, closer to the busted door, was Sheeva's weapons, melded together to create something that Kagure had to admit, was pretty damn impressive. He picked it up and continued walking inside, blinking to adjust walking into darkness from bright, blinding sunlight.

Painted portraits were looking back at him, talking in a language that he couldn't understand. He stared back at them, amazed, wondering _how_ in Guyana's name this was possible. He took a deep breath, trying to piece it together, and then looked around again as the strong smell of blood hit his nose.

Over in the corner, he noticed another dead body. He didn't recognize the corpse, but stepped forward anyway. Another man looked up at him as he approached from crying into his hands. His skin was dark, and Kagure wondered if maybe he was covered in war-paint, or if he'd been hit by something. He arched an eyebrow and tilted his head in curiosity as he realized that this man's skin was naturally this color.

The man stood, barking something and holding a stick at him, a threatening glare in his eyes. Kagure nodded as he realized, this must be the 'wands' that Sheeva had told him about in her letter four weeks ago. Kagure set down the weapons and held up his hands, the chain with the wedding ring dangling from it. The dark-skinned man noticed, and looked at it, a look of relief spreading across his face. He reached up to take it, but then put his hand back down.

Kagure glanced at it, and held it out. The man snatched it from him hastily and held it close, sighing and closing his eyes, as though it were his life-force, or something to that effect. Kagure smiled at him beneath his wolf-mask and stepped past him, heading for the unknown KIA.

He knelt down, tilting the man's head up to get a better look, and then drew his hand back sharply, shaking it as something shocked him. He stood and took a few steps back, rubbing his hand in alarm.

"Balthazar." He muttered, stunned. One of their demons, here, in the human's realm. This was interesting, yet terrifying at the same time. He wondered how he could have gotten here, and furrowed his brow, staring down at the floor in thought. He shook his head. He'd have to ask Sheeva, wherever she might be.

"Where is Sheeva?" He asked. The man stared at him, pointing the wand back at him again, saying something that Kagure didn't understand. Kagure sighed, and pinched the bridge of the nose on his mask, signaling his irritation. Although, considering the shape the courtyard had been in, the man's actions were understandable.

Kagure pointed at Balthazar, and raised his arms, shrugging his shoulders, trying to mimic a questioning stance repeating the question. The man took a deep breath and turned away, waving his hand at Kagure, motioning him to follow.

He glanced around at the castle, impressed with the foundation. The stairs moved on their own, and Kagure's mouth dropped open again. He chuckled as some of the portraits stared at him, gawking at his mask, robes, and wings.

They turned to a hallway on the fourth floor, and walked on for a few paces. The man stopped, turned around to face him, and pointed into the hospital wing. Kagure nodded his head in appreciation, and walked in. Joseph was asleep in a bed, his head bandaged and his shoulder wrapped. Kagure took a breath of relief. At least one person in the team had survived.

A platinum-blonde, pale-skinned man turned, as did a dark-skinned boy with black hair. Together they stood and guarded the bed's occupant fiercely. Kagure raised his hands, trying to convey that he wasn't here to hurt them.

"Senator Kagure." Sheeva called out, her voice thick with hurt. Kagure relaxed, and so did the two men in front of him. They turned to her, asking her something. She nodded and patted the dark-skinned boy's hand, dismissing the two. They stopped, staring at Kagure. Kagure noticed the green trimmings of the dark-skinned boy's robes, and looked down at the weapons he carried.

He handed the green and silver sword to the boy, who took it gratefully and muttered something that Kagure took to be "Thanks". Kagure nodded back, holding up the other two weapons. The boy that was sitting on Sheeva's lap jumped down and took it from him and walked over to another girls' bed, setting the sword at her feet.

Kagure set Sheeva's weapon at the foot of her bed, the weight of it causing a neat dent in the mattress.

"The swords that belong to your twins, they are wonderfully crafted. Who made them?" Kagure asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Sheeva smiled and touched Jeffrey's head.

"My son, Jeffrey." She said proudly. She told Jeffrey something when he gave her a confused look at the mention of his name, and then grinned and said "Thanks" to the stranger in the room.

Kagure shrugged off his cowl and draped it over the back of a chair. His black vest was tight against his torso, and a tattoo on his right arm stood out to them. They gawked at the tattoo, admiring it.

"Tazaro is nothing but a shell. I don't understand. What happened, Sheeva?" He began, getting straight to the point. She took a deep breath, and looked at her husbands, saying something to them. Kagure guessed that she'd asked for some privacy, because they nodded slowly and left, the dark-skinned boy taking Jeffrey's hand.

"He was being used, by a demon. I can only guess that he just wanted to see me. Maybe he was misguided. I do not know. However, that is over now. I can only hope that he is now resting in peace." She mused, trying to sit up again. Kagure helped her, and handed her a glass of water. He chuckled as he remembered, this was the way that she used to take care of him as a little kid.

"How did you get here?" She asked, confused. The library was supposed to be sealed off. Kagure sighed.

"I heard about a large portion of campsite disappearing out of the blue in the mountains, and I went to check it out. It seems there's a huge portal to this world through a sinkhole in the valley. If we can't close it, and the wrong people get to it, I don't want to know what is going to happen to this place." He explained. She snapped her head back at him, her mouth dropped open.

"_What_? Are you serious?" She hissed angrily. He held up a hand to silence her, then pointed, signaling that she was to listen to him. She didn't.

"Block it off. Disconnect it. Do something to get _rid _of it." She ordered. He growled.

"Sheeva, listen. I have a proposition. I think it's time that these humans of yours knew of our existence, don't you?" He asked. She shook her head strongly.

"You cannot do that. They will be terrified. Their heads will spin with fear. Humans do not embrace change, they _fear_ it. I know from many personal experiences. Very rarely do I find someone that accepts it." She protested. Kagure laughed, and scratched his neck.

"I wasn't saying that we just pop up and say 'hello'! We integrate ourselves slowly. You will be the one to lead us, Sheeva. You've been living here forever. You will have to be our expert." He smirked at her beneath his mask. She blinked, and shook her head. There was already too much on her plate. She didn't want to take anymore.

"Think about it. There's got to be some other reason why Balthazar would take over Tazaro's body. He must have been planning _something_. It's not adding up." He reasoned. She listened to him, and nodded slowly. If Balthazar really did want to destroy her family, as he'd said, he could have done so easily without using Tazaro.

"Kagure, I have a request. I need your help. My daughter, she used an astral projection spell, and was still in Balthazar's body when he was killed. She is over there. Can you check her status, tell me what you see?" She asked. Kagure nodded and walked over to the woman's bed. She looked a lot like Sheeva, save for very pale skin.

He set the back of his hand on her forehead. Her temperature seemed normal, a little warmer than usual. He formed a few signs and tapped her forehead, and a cloud appeared instead of a hologram of her spirit.

_Interesting… _he thought, pulling open Nayeli's eye to peer into it, hoping to read her memories to figure out what exactly had happened. He cast another spell, and it bounced back at him, causing him to take a few steps back.

_How very interesting. _He cocked his head, crossing his arms. This was no normal projection technique.

"What spell did she use, do you know?" He asked, keeping his back to Sheeva as he looked at the strange machine that beeped with the beat of her heart. It was still steady. He took out a pen from his pocket and poked Nayeli's arm with it, watching the line on the monitor. He then tried tickling her inner arm with the tip of the pen.

Still, no change in the heartbeat rate.

_No response to external stimuli. My reading spell was ineffective._ He tutted, and smirked, intrigued at his conclusion.

"Her spirit is no longer attached to her body. What spell did she use, Sheeva? It's nothing I've ever seen. Brilliant, really." He applauded the mysterious creator, still mystified.

She sighed.

"It is mine. I only use it in certain cases, as it is fatal." She explained. He stopped, and turned back around to face her, finally. She glanced back at his wolf-mask.

"Yet, your daughter is still alive. Physically, at least." He pointed out. Sheeva frowned, and stared at the foot of her bed, at _Okami-Shinigami_.

"Her spirit is gone. You said so yourself." She whispered, her eyes drooping.

"You can still try to search for it, you know. But if her soul really is gone, there's nothing else that you can do. You'll have to kill her, to set her free from her bonds." Kagure muttered. At this, she closed her eyes, too tired to cry properly. Hot tears slid down her cheeks as she wept. Kagure grabbed a tissue out of a box on the nightstand and dabbed her cheeks with it. She didn't push him away, numb to her surroundings.

She didn't want to feel anymore. She didn't want to think.

She lied back down and pulled the covers up and over her head. Kagure took a deep breath and nodded, standing to leave.

"Think about my proposal, Sheeva. I'll be back in a week. That should be enough time for you to contemplate things." He announced, walking towards the door.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, mulling things over in his head. He paused, and looked up as he saw two pairs of shoes. Sheeva's husbands were staring back at him, worried expressions on their faces. Kagure smiled at them, although they couldn't see it.

He held out a hand for them to shake it, figuring that if he was going to do this right, he'd have to take things into his own hands. They couldn't keep covering things up anymore, not with a giant sinkhole in the most commonly traveled valley.

"Kagure Bakhrieva." He said, nodding to them. They smiled and shook his hand, noticing that his hands were gloved.

"Draco Malfoy." The platinum-blonde said, eyeing him skeptically. Kagure ignored the stares, figuring that they were due to his concealing outfit.

"Blaise Zabini." The dark-skinned man introduced, a firm handshake. He was also eyeing him, trying not to let it show. Kagure heard a clock chime in the distance, and checked his watch, excusing himself and taking off, hurrying to the front door.

If they were going to set up a guard around the portal, they couldn't waste any time, and he'd already been here long enough.

He formed a seal, and a green aura erupted by the bridge. Kagure sighed in relief. The portal was still open, like he'd hypothesized. He rushed through it, curling up in a ball and closing his eyes as he drifted through the strange void.

* * *

Well, what did you think? please review!


	18. Chapter 18

So, thank you for reviewing, those of you that did.

* * *

Sheeva shook Joseph awake, and he blinked a few times, then sat up, startled, staring at her like she was evil incarnate.

"What the hell? You're dead!" He barked, pointing at her, the horror spread evenly across his face. The two men at the foot of his bed snickered, amused with his reactions. Sheeva shook her head and ignored his comment.

"You have been asleep for a day now. We need to bury the dead." She announced.

"Don't you mean we should be burying _you_?" He growled, draping his legs over the side of the bed, slowly standing up. He was trembling, and his muscles ached. He frowned in dismay as he found that he could no longer move his left arm.

"Damn. My arm's busted." He muttered, trying to wiggle his fingers. Thankfully, he could, but he still had to put it into a sling. He looked for his clothes, and saw that they were clean, neatly folded on a chair. He didn't notice until now that he was in hospital clothing, and to his surprise, they were actually comfortable.

He reached for his pants, and Sheeva backed off with an annoyed grunt and closed the curtain. Joseph smirked and got himself dressed, something that took nearly ten minutes, as one of his arm was wrapped in a sling and his back hurt immensely.

He drew back the curtain and grimaced at a twinge of pain that shot from his shoulder.

As Sheeva's statement sunk in, he sighed, remembering what had happened to Kalas and Artix.

"You're not dead?" He asked, reaching out to push her shoulder lightly, wondering if he was still seeing things. She shook her head. He shot her a grin.

"Well, good on you! Kalas and I…" He trailed off, remembering the events from the battle. They'd bet on whether or not she was going to survive, Kalas betting that she would, Joseph betting that she wouldn't.

"Oh, right." He silenced, and put his hand in his pocket. He walked past Sheeva, and merely nodded at the two men at the foot of the bed. He looked around, searching for Zakkari.

He turned to her, worried when he saw that Zakkari wasn't around. The look on his face voiced his confusion. Sheeva shook her head sadly.

"He is dead too. You are the only one left, Joseph." She muttered. He froze, and his face fell. His eyes widened, and his stomach tightened with guilt. He shook his head.

"You're kidding, right?" He asked, almost pleading as he looked in her eyes with his blue, almost tearing up. She shook her head again. He let his gaze fall to the floor, staring at his feet. He sat back down, the weight of the situation dawning on him.

_It should have been me, dammit! Zakkari, you damn fool!_

"The headmaster has given us permission to bury them on Hogwart's grounds. Artix will be left to… guard the door." Sheeva stated, setting a hand on his shoulder and shaking him. He looked up, his eyes clouded with the guilt and shame that he felt.

"Ok." He nodded. She turned back around, said something to her husbands, and together, they all walked through the school and to the grounds. Joseph couldn't help but gawk at the portraits, as well as the moving staircase.

It was raining when they stepped outside, and Sheeva paused at the door, where Artix's statue stood. She sighed, and continued on, picking up four shovels, handing two of them to her husbands, and one to Joseph. She gave him a look.

"Can you do it?" She asked. He sent her a glare and held back the shovel as she reached for it.

"Of course I can!" He snapped, limping off to the grounds. His eyes were filling with tears, and he didn't want them to see him cry.

With his good arm he dug the blade of the shovel into the softened ground, pressing it down with his heel. He grimaced as he scooped up the dirt, struggling to lift the shovel one-handed. He did it, though, moved the dirt to the side and dumped it.

He groaned. This was going to be more challenging than he'd thought.

"This." He grunted as he stabbed the dirt again.

"Really." He jerked the shovel back, scooping another shoveful of dirt.

"Hurts!" He barked, tossing the dirt aside. Sheeva nodded, and began to shovel too, creating a seven foot edge for Kalas' body, trying not to wince as her body hurt from the strain. Draco and Blaise started at the foot of the grave.

Silently, they dug, the rain pouring on them, washing their sweat away, making a muddy mess. Sheeva and Joseph waited while Draco and Blaise picked up Kalas' body, covered with a white sheet and carried it gently over to them. Sheeva sniffled. Joseph fought hard to keep from crying. He knew he would lose his control when they'd put Zakkari in the ground.

He'd been the youngest of them all, the least experienced with life. Hell, he hadn't even been with a woman. It was one of the things Joseph promised to do once they got back to Kadessa: get Zakkari shitfaced and send him on his merry way with a pretty woman.

It wasn't fair. Not to any of them. Considering their enemy, though, he had to admit, he was grateful he was alive. It wasn't something someone could boast about, surviving a demon attack. Speaking of surviving:

"I believe you now, Captain." He admitted, shifting to lean against the shovel. Sheeva looked at him, wondering what he was talking about.

"Believe me?" She asked. Joseph nodded solemnly.

"You really are immortal. You died out there, on the battlefield. Your kids went ballistic. We were going to help them when Zakkari knocked me out. Still don't understand why." Joseph muttered. Sheeva smiled, and moved to help Draco and Blaise set Kalas in the grave.

They set to digging Zakkari's grave while Draco and Blaise shoveled the dirt back into Kalas' grave, packing it down when they were done.

Joseph stopped Draco and Blaise as they brought Zakkari's body, reaching out a shaky hand for the sheet that covered his corpse. He hesitated, and took a deep breath. He still didn't know how it'd happened. Did he really want to?

He shook his head. Of course. It was worse imagining. If he could see it, it might be easier to deal with.

He lifted the sheet, and then set it back down, turning his head away, turning his back on them.

"Put him down." He muttered, standing at rest. They looked to Sheeva to translate what he'd said, and he barely heard her repeat his words. They nodded and lowered Zakkari's body into the ground. He didn't turn around for the remainder of the burial, trying not to think about it, trying his damndest to keep his anger and tears at bay.

Sheeva said something to her husbands, and they kissed her softly on the cheek, giving her a tight hug before leaving, giving the two their space. Sheeva stood beside him, staring off at the horizon. The last rays of daylight were disappearing over the mountains, and it reminded Joseph of home.

"I wanted to take him to a bar. Set him up with a woman. He told me, he'd never lost his virginity, said his family frowned upon his decision." Joseph muttered, not looking at Sheeva.

Sheeva nodded slowly. Joseph scoffed, and shook his head at his next thought.

"It should have been me. He was too young. I've known him since we were toddlers." Joseph continued. Sheeva shook her head.

"You are not much older than he was. It should not have been _any _of you. I… I blame myself." She whispered, sitting down. Joseph looked down at her, scowling.

"You blame yourself? For _what_? You didn't know that your husband was being controlled. How could you have?" He asked, trying to get her to see to reason. Sure, he was angry that their friends had died, but really, they were too naïve to believe that all of them would come out alive.

She chuckled to herself. Joseph was right.

She explained. Joseph broke his at rest stance, and sat down.

"He loved you, you know. He sent you away to keep you safe, because he valued your life far more than his own. I would do the same for my husbands, and for my children." She admitted. Joseph turned to her, shocked. Zakkari, _loved_ him?

His mind went into overdrive, part of it chastising him for finding that he was somewhat alright with that. However, Joseph had always seen Zakkari as a brother, considering they'd grown up together as such.

Joseph frowned, and held his knees into his chest, leaning forward. What a horrible way to feel.

"You did nothing wrong. What happened, happened. You are alive now, and you should focus on that." She stated, standing up and brushing herself off. The dirt only smeared on her clothing and she sighed, giving up.

"When you are done here, come inside. We will need to find you a place to stay for a few days." She stated, setting a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her, confused.

"Stay?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Kagure will be coming back to discuss something with me, and I would like to hear your opinion, Joseph Cowles. I have been here, you have been in Kadessa. We will be needing to work together for a while." She explained, taking a few steps away.

"Unless, you are still in your chauvinist mindset, and cannot stand working with a woman?" She taunted. Joseph flashed her a half-cocked grin.

"I'll stick around, to see what you can do, _woman_." He replied. She grinned and walked on. Joseph turned back to the hillside, enjoying the view and relaxing, mulling over what she'd said about Zakkari. How he'd miss his best friend…

He finally let his mask fall, tears falling from his eyes like waterfalls.

"God damn you, Zakkari!" He growled out, wrapping his arm around his knees and pulling them close. He spread his wings, and wrapped them around himself as well, something of a comfort for him. He couldn't imagine ever losing them, much less losing his best friend, and it'd happened.

* * *

Severus walked briskly into the library, catching the temporary librarian's eye, Mrs. Trelawney, their divination teacher. She smiled at him politely and pointed to the back, figuring that he'd be looking for Kathryn. He nodded in thanks, and dashed between the bookshelves.

He looked around at the back of the library, and saw her small frame curled up in a chair, nose in a book. He smirked. She looked so damn cute this way.

"Hey." He announced, walking up to her and sitting in the chair across from the table, where a mound of books lied. He picked one up, and examined the title: _Medical Potions and Elixirs. _He nodded to himself, and went to set it back down.

"Please make sure they're in the right pile. I haven't read those yet, but I'm going to. Mrs. Trelawney has agreed to allow me to take these back with me, even though they're not normally for rental." She announced as Severus went to set it on the left pile instead. He found himself smirking.

"Even with your head behind a book, you can still watch me?" He flirted. She blushed from behind the book.

"With the way you kissed me earlier, who can't?" She threw back, bookmarking her page and setting it down. He glanced at that title as well: _Steele's Guide to Anatomy and Physiology_. She really was determined.

He stood and kissed her forehead.

"Mom, Dad, and… Joseph, I think his name was, are going to bury their dead. I am planning on paying my respects." He said, letting his hand rest on the arm of her chair. She nodded, and stood, taking his hand and walking on.

"Let's go, then. We owe it to them." She agreed, grabbing her cloak and wrapping it around herself. Severus took her hand, and together, they walked out of the library and to the front door. They paused at the statue of Artix.

Kathryn and Severus' hearts fell, as they remembered how he'd shielded the attack aimed at Nayeli. Kathryn sighed, and pressed on, staring at the ground.

Sheeva was in the middle of the courtyard, picking up Dumbledore's fallen statue and repairing the chips in it.

"Mom." Severus stated, stopping in his tracks. She turned her head, and smiled sweetly, pausing to give them a hug.

"You should wait. Give Joseph some time to himself. How are you feeling?" She asked. Severus looked out past her shoulder, and saw the stranger, wings bared and wrapped around himself. It almost appeared as though he were crying. Severus couldn't judge.

"I'm really tired… Are you sure you're ok, Mom?" He asked. She smiled back at him, trying desperately to hide the pain behind her eyes. She forced herself to nod at her son.

"Yes. This is… nothing new." She stated, turning her attention back to the statue. Severus opened his mouth to retort, but thought better of it. He guised it as a yawn, which ended up happening anyway. For that he was thankful; it'd be more convincing.

"You should get some sleep. What day is it?" She asked, giving him a questioning look. Severus stopped for a minute, and then realized, she must not have had a calendar, or maybe their time was off, or something really bizarre that they couldn't explain.

"It's… Sunday, February 9th." He answered, and then snapped his eyes open, looking at Kathryn. Valentine's Day was around the corner. He mentally smacked himself, wondering how he could have forgotten. Then again, they were too focused on other things to remember.

Kathryn looked back at him, smiling and blushing, but then her smiled faded, and her expression was replaced with fear and dread.

"My trial's on Friday." She muttered, more of a realization. Sheeva arched an eyebrow.

"Your trial?" She asked. Severus chuckled nervously.

"We should go inside and get some tea. We have some things to catch up on, Mom." He blurted, grabbing their hands and heading in the direction of the castle dungeons. Sheeva wriggled her hand from his grasp and walked beside him, while Kathryn enjoyed the touch of his hand.

They walked into Draco, Blaise, and Sheeva's office, the warmth engulfing their chilling bones. Kathryn and Severus sat down on the couch, Kathryn's hands folded and in her lap. Severus crossed a leg over the other, leaning his head on his hand, propped against the arm of the couch. Sheeva sat down across from them, a stern look on her face.

"What happened, Kathryn?" She began. Draco and Blaise turned, and then looked at each other. They sat down in the empty chairs, sighing heavily.

"I… attacked the Madame, with an unforgivable curse." She admitted, her voice small. Her body tingled with fear and shame, and she twiddled her thumbs.

Sheeva arched an eyebrow, an amused look on her face.

"Oh, really?" She asked, chuckling slightly. Kathryn snapped her head up, slightly shocked.

"What? You're not mad?" She asked incredulously, trying to keep a straight face. She failed, and her mouth turned up in a small smirk. Sheeva shook her head no, to Kathryn's relief. Kathryn chuckled slightly, and looked to Draco, Blaise, and Severus.

"No, I am not. She deserved whatever you did to her. You did not… kill her, I hope?" She asked. Kathryn shook her head.

"I used the Cruciatus, ma'am. I… don't think I could ever kill someone, not even her. Even if she does deserve death. I don't want that on my conscience." She muttered shyly, biting her lip. Severus held back a smirk as he eyed her. These moments were incredibly cute, and they did nothing to keep his urges at bay. He was thankful that he had one leg crossed over the other. He averted his gaze, examining the family photo to keep his mind off of things.

"It is easier than you would think. Especially when you fight to protect those you love." Sheeva stated. Kathryn's eyebrows raised, again stunned by this statement.

Draco smirked.

"Don't say that in your trial though, that's not a way to win the jury over." He laughed. Kathryn's stomach dropped.

"I…I don't know what to do. I don't know what to expect." She muttered, scared. She gripped the hem of her skirt, staring at the table, the fear on her face like a beacon. Severus took her hand gently and gave it a light squeeze.

"Draco and I can help you. We've… been." Blaise offered. Kathryn looked up and nodded thankfully at him. Sheeva uncrossed her arms, still mulling the situation over. She glanced at Draco, holding back a smirk as she watched him ruffle his platinum blonde hair. Her fingers itched to run them through it, as it had been far too long. She cleared her throat, and turned her attention back to Kathryn.

"It is good that you are living in times like these. If this were thousands of years ago, you would be burned at the stake, or hung. Beheaded. Stoned to death." Sheeva smirked, enjoying riling Kathryn up, watching her shrink at every death sentence.

"My personal favorite? Being dragged naked through the streets to the gallows. Nothing quite like public… humiliation." She whispered with a glint in her eye. Severus gave his mother a look, asking her to back off. Draco and Blaise smirked, as they noticed the glint. It was one that she got when incredibly horny, which hadn't been often, these days.

"What are we going to do about Nayeli?" Kathryn asked suddenly. Sheeva gave Kathryn a cold stare as she thought about it, her mood shifting to something dark.

"Whatever we can." She said shortly, taking a deep breath and placing her fingers over her lips, contemplating. Kathryn sighed, and nodded.

"I was hoping that there was something that you could do. What about someone from Ka—

-no. They cannot fix it. It is my technique. Only I understand how it works… it should have been fatal. However… her spirit has been separated from her body. I do not know where it is. Perhaps it is trapped in Balthazar's corpse. Perhaps it is lost in this universe. Perhaps, it is lost in the Void." Sheeva mused, avoiding eye contact. She crossed one leg over the other, tapping her foot.

"The Void?" Draco and Blaise asked. She'd never talked about this one.

"The interstitial space between this world and theirs." She explained. She chuckled slightly, some light coming to her expression.

"It is funny, I told them I was… human. Or, as close to human as I could be. Joseph was pissed. Artix and Kalas seemed to accept it. Zakkari, I will not know." She admitted, shaking her head slowly.

They remained silent for a few minutes, casting glances between one another. Sheeva saw the way that Severus held Kathryn's hand, and smiled to herself. They were a cute couple, but she sensed that there was something deep between the two. She was shy, withdrawn. He was open, outgoing. She had brains. He had brawn.

The clock chimed, and it brought her out of her thoughts. It was six. The dinner hall would be filling up soon. She looked up, and then stood.

"I forgot about Cowles. I am going to go get him, and bring him in. He will have to stay here for a few days. Severus, can he share a room with you?" Severus looked up at his mother, trying to keep a straight face. Kathryn had visited him last night, unable to sleep due to the fact that she missed Nayeli, and didn't feel comfortable. Not wanting to disappoint his mother, he nodded slowly.

"I need his guidance. Kagure wants to keep the portal that brought us here open. I think it is a crazy, foolish idea. I have been trying to keep these two worlds separate for too long for someone to destroy it all like that." She blurted, grabbing a shawl. She sighed, happy that she could feel it in her hands again. She slowed, and stopped at the door.

Severus noticed her hesitance, and stood. He walked up to her and gave her a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're back, Mom. We were so worried." He whispered. She smiled, and hugged him back, placing a kiss on his cheek. She broke away, and headed out of the door.

She walked back out into the rain, upset to find that Joseph was still sitting there, his head rested on his knees, hugging himself with his wings.

"Joseph, come inside. We have dinner waiting for us. That and, you will get sick if you sit out here like this." She announced behind him, making him jump slightly.

He sighed, and stood, following her in. His long red hair was dripping, hanging down. His clothes were soaked. He hesitated at the door, trying not to look at Artix's statue, still sore.

It would take some getting used to, not having the same people to converse with. He looked around at the students, who were staring back at him, amazed, whispering amongst themselves.

"What are they saying, Sheeva?" He asked. She listened in on their conversations, and chuckled.

"They are calling you an Aengel. It is your wings that makes them think so. You should hide your wings." She explained. He focused, and withdrew them, the strange retracting feeling something foreign to his muscles. He heard the squishing of his shoes as he took a few steps forward, and stopped.

"I should find something dry before I go eat. This is… embarrassing." He muttered, fighting the blush that spread across his cheeks. Severus and Kathryn walked up the steps, and smiled, walking over to them. Upon seeing his sopping wet state, the young girl took out her wand and waved it, saying something that Joseph didn't understand.

A warm glow spread from his head to his toes, and his clothes were dry in an instant. His hair lifted, no longer weighted down by the rain, and he reached up to touch it, shocked. From this viewpoint, Kadessian magic had nothing on human's magic.

"Gatou." He nodded in thanks. The smell of delicious food wafted to his nose and he turned to the source, his mouth watering. His stomach growled loudly, and he winced. The young girl and Sheeva's son chuckled, saying something to their mother and walking away. Joseph smirked to mask his blush. He was sure he heard a girl in the distance swooning over the drop-dead smirk, which made him smirk even more, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

"Are all the girls here boy-crazy? It's going to be annoying." He asked, stuffing his hand into his coat pocket and walking into the hall, following the students. Sheeva caught up with him, and shrugged.

"Some of them, yes. It is the hair. Not very often you find a man with fire-red hair and a smirk like yours. Be careful. The women will eat you up if you let them." She stated. When she saw his look of horror, she smirked, and winked at her husbands.

"They're _cannibals_?" He asked, pausing for a moment in the middle aisle of the grand hall. Sheeva laughed aloud, the light laughter lifting the spirits of those who heard it.

She led him to a table at the back of the room, and sat him down across from a bushy-haired woman with brown eyes and the dark-skinned husband. The platinum blonde was at Sheeva's right, the dark-skinned man at her left.

"Hermione Potter, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy." She explained, pointing at them as she said their names. Hermione gave him a small smile and waved, her bushy hair swaying as she did so. She then reached out her hand for him to shake it, and he stared at it, shocked.

She withdrew it shyly, fearing that she'd offended him. Sheeva pressed her lips together and took a breath.

She said something to Hermione, and Hermione muttered an "Oh", and slunk back in her seat.

"Why did she offer to shake my hand? Are males and females equal?" Joseph asked Sheeva. Sheeva took a drink of her pumpkin juice and nodded.

"Yes, they are. I told her that where you come from, they are not. I will be giving you a crash course on our customs. It will not _kill_ you to shake her hand, Joseph. It is just a way of introductions." She said. Joseph nodded, and went to reach out his left hand for her to shake it, but grimaced as another pain shot through his shoulder.

Involuntarily, he reached up with his right and went to touch it, but froze his arm halfway through. Instead, he forced it out for her to shake.

He muttered an apology, and she took it and shook it gratefully.

"Joseph Cowles." He introduced himself fully. Sheeva seemed to relax, and nodded her head at him in approval. He shook Blaise and Draco's hand as well, and then went to shovel food onto his plate, his stomach unable to wait any longer.

He'd barely finished a bite before Draco tapped him lightly, pointing to the person behind him. He swallowed the bite and wiped his mouth with a napkin, turning to pay attention. Sheeva began to translate.

"Good evening. Due to the…bizarre incident yesterday morning, there are a few things that I would like to discuss with you. We have a new person joining us for a few days. Please welcome Joseph Cowles. He is here as an… ambassador, if you will." She translated. The man in the blue robes turned to him and smiled.

"Stand up, Cowles. Do not look so shocked." Sheeva ordered. Shakily, Joseph stood and walked up to the man. Sheeva stood and followed, figuring that she'd need to translate, as well as explain a few things.

She exchanged words with the man, who nodded.

"He is from a foreign land, so please be courteous, and help him out. He does not yet know any English, so Sheeva will be accompanying him until he can learn enough to converse with you." She translated. Joseph looked at her, shocked. _This _was the plan she'd come up with for his identity? An ambassador from a foreign land? He shook his head. He'd just have to trust her for the time being.

"The third room in the back of the library is still off-limits, and students are not to walk beyond the stone bridge unless accompanied by a teacher, Miss Sheeva, or Mr. Cowles." Sheeva stated. She shot the man a warning look, muttering something.

"There is fallout from the… battle that took place yesterday morning, and we fear that nature may be a bit unstable from the incident." The man said. Sheeva smirked as she translated. It was a good cover. The man in the blue robes turned and nodded at them, dismissing them.

Joseph turned on his heel and caught another sound of a girl giggling, and he rolled his eyes, annoyed. His eyes widened as he remembered what Sheeva had said about the girls being cannibals. He hurriedly sat down, and caught her eye.

"Hey, please tell me you were joking about the cannibals." He asked, worried. She shot him a smirk.

"Why? Worried?" She asked. He sent her a glare as she began to laugh, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course she'd been joking with him. He picked up his fork and stabbed a few strange green sticks with flowery looking heads.

"That is asparagus. It is really good with a little Hollandaise sauce." Sheeva commented, pointing at a creamy orange sauce in a dipper. He spooned a little bit of it on his plate, dipped them, and took a bite. It was an explosion in his mouth. He smirked.

"This is pretty good." He muttered, going crazy.

Draco laughed.

"Watching him eat is like watching Severus eat. When was the last time you both ate?" Draco asked. Sheeva paused, thinking for a minute. To be honest, she couldn't remember. She ignored the frowns of her husbands and Hermione.

"Joseph. When was the last time we ate? You were out for a day. I was out for half of one. Maybe two hours, I do not know." She asked. Joseph paused, and took a drink of whatever was in the goblet. He sighed, as it was cold, refreshing, and sweet, like pumpkins.

He thought for a minute, too.

"I think it was before… we interrogated Audis Adi." He answered, cutting into something that resembled cluckatrice meat. She blinked, stunned.

"I would have to say two days, minimum. Maybe even three. We were so jumbled with nerves that we… just could not eat." Sheeva told Blaise and Draco. Hermione frowned.

"That's not good for you, you know." She reprimanded. Sheeva nodded slowly.

"I understand. However… imagine, going to war with your… long dead husband…and having…" She muttered, her expression going dark as she picked at her food, her appetite gone. Joseph noticed, and set down his fork.

"Captain." He stated, catching her attention. She blinked, a cold stare in her eyes. It scared him, how quickly she could change her mood. By the looks of it, she was thinking about the fight.

"Eat your food. You've got to be starving." He demanded. She looked back down at her plate, continuing to push around the "cluckatrice" meat.

"Unless, you're trying to _look_ like a pathetic _woman_?" He smirked, chiding her. She sent him a glare, and forced a bite in her mouth.

"Chauvanist arrogant _boy_." She muttered in Kadessian, and then in English. Blaise looked at him, quirking an eyebrow. He didn't know what he'd said, but at least he'd gotten her to eat. Joseph and Blaise exchanged glances, and Joseph nodded at him, going back to his meal.

"I am going to teach you English, starting tomorrow. I will be teaching my family Kadessian, so that they will be able to help you out even more if I am not there." Sheeva stated. Joseph smiled and nodded.

"Gatou, Captain." He thanked her, and went back to eating. He ate his fill, sighing happily at the fact that he had a full belly.

"I made arrangements with Severus for you to share his room. You'll follow him to the dungeons after dinner." She announced, finishing her pumpkin juice and standing. Joseph stood too, looking around for Sheeva's son. He was sitting at a table decorated with green and silver cloths. He looked at the other three tables: blue and white, black and yellow, and red and gold. He saw Severus' girlfriend sitting at the red and gold table.

"What do the colors stand for?" He asked. Sheeva stood next to him and pointed at each one.

"Slytherin is the green and silver. Hufflepuff is the black and yellow. Raveclaw is the white and blue. Gryffindor is gold and red. They are the four houses of Hogwarts. Hogwarts is the name of this school." She explained. Joseph looked back and forth between the tables.

"Your son is ok with seeing someone from another house?" He asked, somewhat amazed.

Sheeva chuckled.

"Humans are not as strict as Kadessians are. You will find that out soon enough. You must be exhausted. Go find Severus. Just… examine things right now. You will learn." She stated. Joseph nodded and walked over to the "Slytherin" table, and meekly walked up to Severus, muttering a "hello" in Kadessian.

"Hi." Severus replied, moving over so that Joseph could sit down. Not wanting to offend, Joseph did so, nodding gratefully.

"So, my mother said that you and I are going to be sharing a room. Cool, I guess." Severus started. When Joseph gave him a look, Severus mentally smacked himself.

"That's right. You can't understand me." He muttered, turning back to his plate. Joseph looked at someone that was staring back at him, and it was somewhat annoying. At least it wasn't an ogling _girl_. Severus kicked the boy from underneath the table, and the boy winced, reaching down to hold his shin in pain. The woman next to his giggled.

"Sorry, Gary's not used to…" She trailed off, trying to remind herself that he couldn't understand them. She pointed to Joseph's hair, and gave a thumbs-up. Joseph smirked. That was something that he _did _understand. He gave a thumbs up to show he understood.

Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this! have a great day! :D


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry it's been a while. I got caught up in school work.

Please review, but most of all, enjoy.

* * *

Joseph was finishing up a page in an alphabet book that Sheeva had given him when he heard a small knock at the door. Severus looked over at it, and crawled out of his bed, unlocked the door, and swung it open. He smiled when he saw Kathryn.

He invited her in and gave her a hug, kissing her forehead. She sighed, and hugged him back. Joseph nodded at her and smiled.

"Hello, Kathryn." He greeted, going back to the next page in the book. It was working with "vowels". Humans, he'd learned, had very strange customs, and the words were amusing to say. He loved to play with some of the sounds, enthralled with the silent vowels and the silent 'g', as in gnomes.

She pulled away from Severus' embrace and nodded back.

"Hi, Joseph. How are you doing?" She asked, a solemn look on her face. It was slightly white, and she was trembling. He blinked, worried a little.

"I am well. You do not look… so well." He pointed out. She silenced, and nodded slowly.

"My trial is tomorrow." She reminded him. He nodded. He didn't understand the full situation, but he knew she'd done something apparently terrible.

Severus turned to Kathryn, encasing her in a hug again.

"It'll be alright. Dad and I will be there." He whispered. She was still shaking. Effortlessly, he picked her up and carried her to his bed. He set them both down in it, pulling off her shoes and crawling in with her.

"I have to see her again, Severus." She whispered. In the dim light, he could see that her eyes were wide. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and she buried her face in his chest.

"I know. She can't hurt you. Not anymore." He consoled her. She bit her lip nervously.

"But… what if she gets released? What if they don't believe me? What if-" He shushed her by putting a finger to her lips gently.

"If she gets let go, I'll track her down. Joseph and I both will. I'm pretty sure that we can make it look like an accident." He stated confidently. Joseph looked over at them upon hearing his name, wondering what they were talking about. Her eyes widened for a second, unsure if he was being serious or just joking. She dismissed it as the latter.

She let out a chuckle, whispering something along the lines of: "That's not necessary", but it was muffled into his chest.

"They have so much evidence against that woman. This case is closed, hands-down. She's going to jail for the rest of her life. You'll never see her again after this day. She'll never hurt those kids at the orphanage, ever again. It's _all right_." He stressed, rubbing small circles into her back. She calmed down.

"Summon that Gryffindor courage that we know you have. You can do it. Dad and I will be right there with you… well, in the background." He added. She smiled, and curled up against him. They lied there in silence, and Severus couldn't tell if she'd fallen asleep or not. The hot puffs of air that she let out against his pectorals was sending a jolt of energy along his body.

Joseph was ignoring them now, immersed in his learning. He felt a disturbance in the peaceful, loving aura that the couple was emitting, and looked up. It was faint, but he was _sure_ he'd felt something. He heard someone whispering, another woman's voice. He looked around, fearing that it might be one of the ghosts lurking around.

He crawled out of bed and grabbed his sword and stepped into his shoes. Severus turned at the noise.

"I am going to go for walk." He announced to the two. Severus arched an eyebrow.

"Are we… upsetting you?" He asked. Joseph smirked.

"Iye." (No.) He called over his shoulder before leaving, trying to keep up with the strange aura, as it was dissipating somewhat quickly.

"I be back soon." He stated before shutting the door.

"Hmm… Ok." Severus turned back around, smirking at Kathryn. He blinked, and chuckled to himself as he found that she'd already fallen asleep. He slowly reached for his wand off of the bedside table, and waved it, casting a tempus charm. It was past midnight. He smiled, and replaced it, kissing her forehead lightly.

"Happy Valentine's Day." He whispered, making sure that they were well covered before resting his head and closing his eyes.

* * *

Draco knocked on Severus' door, frustrated. Kathryn wasn't in the Gryffindor commons, as she usually was, and Sheeva had suggested that she might be here. He hoped that she wasn't, as that would have been extremely awkward.

Severus shot up, and when he realized that it was his father, he turned to wake Kathryn. She wasn't there. Instead, she had already gotten out of his bed, walked to the door and opened it, facing his father. Draco scowled, and squinted his eyes, obviously displeased and trying to intimidate her.

She looked back at him calmly, as he wasn't as scary as the possibility of seeing the Madame later during her trial.

"I couldn't sleep last night. I'm already ready to go." She told him. Draco held back a smirk.

"Yeah, well…" He trailed off, unable to create a comeback. He shook his head.

"Severus, get ready. We've got to be there in three hours. I'd rather be there soon, so that we can make sure that we're ready." Draco ordered, arms crossed and leaning against the doorway. Severus scrambled out of bed, rushing to his dresser and throwing on a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt. He flipped up the collar, fumbling with the tie that he was trying to tie. He walked over to Draco, who helped him fix it, smirking a little. Kathryn stared out of the door into the commons, a slight scowl on her face.

Draco noticed, as she seemed to be radiating discomfort.

"Nervous?" He started. She hardly blinked, giving a slight nod of her head.

"Who wouldn't be?" She asked. Draco nodded in return.

"You said you'd been through the same thing. What'd you do?" She asked. Draco glanced at his son. They hadn't told their kids their past experiences, keeping their dark marks concealed and hidden beneath blemishing charms. The question had never come up, really.

"Issues with the war. They were questioning Blaise and I's loyalty. Looking back, I don't blame them." He muttered, thankful that Severus had rushed into the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his hair. Kathryn raised an eyebrow at Draco's answer.

"Why would they question your loyalty? Are you… hiding something, professor?" She asked, getting the feeling that he wasn't letting on something. He kept his demeanor cool and collected.

"We all have reasons to hide things, you know." He muttered, trying to fend off his self-consciousness.

"Yeah, well, there's a time when things need to be brought to light. Before they do so at a critical moment… bringing even more drama into play." She grumbled, crossing her arms, shifting around uncomfortably. There were some things that she hadn't thought to write about in her briefing, and she wondered if it would help her case at all to go ahead and voice them.

Draco snorted. She was one to talk, having kept her misery and dangers hidden from the others. Draco shook his head. Her actions were reasonable, and justifiable to boot. So had his been… mostly. If it hadn't been for Sheeva and their full cooperation, he wondered often if they wouldn't have gone to Azkaban. He shivered at the thought.

"Kathryn, remember something, alright?" He started, waiting for her to turn to him. She had only nodded to show she'd heard, but he wanted her undivided attention. When he didn't continue, she turned to look at him.

"In your trial, you tell them the whole truth. Don't leave anything out. There's so much evidence for you at this moment, that that woman will be going to Azkaban for the rest of her life. If they question you, look them dead in the eye and tell them the bitter truth." He muttered. She nodded.

"I was planning on it."

* * *

Kathryn stared meekly down at her hands folded in her lap. Fidgeting nervously with the dragon-medallion that Jeffrey had transfigured, she wasn't surprised to find that she was shaking. The room was dark, the only light being shed on them coming from an ancient-looking chandelier, illuminating the room by magical candlelight.

Severus, Draco, and Blaise sat in the audience across from her. All she had to do what look up at them, and she might relax. However, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She hardly noticed that the last of the jury had walked in and taken his seat in the stands to her left.

"Miss Huître." One of the council members announced, snaring Kathryn's attention. She snapped her head up, and looked at the owner of the voice. A thin, scrawny woman who was wearing so much make-up, it reminded Kathryn of the Madame's daily get-up.

"Yes, Ma'am?" She asked, tightening her fist on the medallion.

"Do you recall the events on December the 23rd, when you attacked…" She paused to look at her folder, "Stacy Maddess with an unforgivable curse?" She began. Slowly, Kathryn nodded her head, unable to find her voice. Harry tapped her foot from beneath the table, and she cleared her throat.

"Yes, ma'am." She stated bluntly. The council looked back at her, surprised that a _child_ would be telling the truth, even more so admitting to her crime.

"And you are aware that you did so in the presence of Muggles?" The woman asked, leering down at Kathryn. Kathryn looked up at her. They all looked angry, tall, and menacing. Kathryn forced herself to take a breath.

"Yes, ma'am, that is correct." She acknowledged. The spectators in the crowd around Severus and his fathers began to murmur. Severus tried his best to keep from barking at them. She heard them too, and her stomach turned in fear.

"You are nervous, yet you still admit to these claims? In your statement, you have admitted guilty. You are not going to defend yourself, Huître?" The head council member asked, his long black beard shaking as he spoke. It was so incredibly bushy that it seemed he had no mouth. She managed to catch Draco's eye. He slowly nodded to her, and she remembered his words of wisdom before the trial: _No matter what they throw at you, speak the full truth. There is enough evidence for you, Kathryn. Look them dead in the eyes and tell them the truth._

Kathryn took a deep breath, and stared the man in the eye. Light blue locked onto hazel, glimmering with expectancy.

"Yes, sir. I have no reason to lie, because it's the right thing to do, no matter how scared I am right… now." She started strong, but her voice faltered at the cold stare she was receiving. She clutched onto the medallion with a death grip. When there was no response from the council members, she took another breath and averted her gaze to the insignia on the tapestry hanging off of the pedestal that the council members sat on.

"You may even give me a Veritaserum if you want. I swear to you that everything I say now will hold true even under a Veritaserum potion." She added, noticing their disbelieving stares. The head of council shook his head, his beard swaying from side to side. In a way, it would have reminded her of Hagrid's beard, but she couldn't allow herself to be distracted by the thought, no matter how comforting.

"That is not necessary." The man said, taking a sip of water. Kathryn found herself smirking at the irony of the situation.

A brunette sitting next to him spoke up.

"Are you afraid of jail?" She asked, curious. Kathryn looked back at her, and contemplated how to say what was on her mind, while shaking her head no. The woman arched an eyebrow at her response.

"If I receive a sentence for jail-time for using an unforgivable curse in defense, then so be it. I can accept the consequences of my actions. The worst fear I have is that this trial will be in vain. That that woman will be released. That she will return to the orphanage, and tyrannize the children. I feel… No, I know that the minute she returns, she will force them to tell her who testified against her, and torture them. Possibly even…" She stopped herself, her throat tight and her voice small, cracking from the strain of trying to speak in the nervous wreck she was in.

The jury was on the edge of their seats, intent on listening to everything the small young woman in front of them had to say. The council members were intrigued too.

"Possibly even…?" The woman egged her on. Kathryn looked up at her sadly. This woman really wanted her to say it, or wasn't very smart to begin with, as the context clues should have been enough, Kathryn felt.

"Kill them." Kathryn muttered, dropping her gaze to the folder on the table that contained all the evidence that they'd collected and documented. The woman stared at her in shock, and more muttering in the crowd was heard.

"Why do you think that she would kill them, Huître?" The woman asked. Kathryn didn't look back at the woman for her next answer.

"Because, it wouldn't be the first time." Kathryn managed to get out, her voice in a barely audible whisper. She felt her face heat, turning red from embarrassment. Her hands were freezing cold, almost numb, and her legs were shaking, even though she was sitting down. She couldn't help but wrap her arms around herself as her mind dove into the memory.

A little girl had been "punished" so severely that by the time the Madame was finished, she was bleeding from her ears, her breath in wheezing, bubbling, labored breathing. The offense? She'd been sent to the nurse because she'd had bruises on her arms in the shape of hand prints.

Kathryn's eyes welled up, and she remembered where she was. She dabbed her eyes with her sleeve, sniffling to prevent the snot forming in her nostrils from running down her nose.

"Wouldn't be the _first_? Can you tell us—

-please, no more. I don't want… I can't… I…" She pleaded, looking around the room uncomfortably. The woman nodded, and sat back.

"That is fine, Huître. Regain yourself, and we'll continue when you're ready." The head of council announced, trying to regain his composure as well. Severus sent a bit of energy to the medallion, and it warmed up in her cold hands. She took a deep breath, and fought to keep from smiling. She caught Severus' eye in the crowd, her eyes conveying the message she couldn't say: _Thank you._

"Will you tell us the circumstances that led you to use an unforgivable curse on Stacey Maddess?" The head of council asked after a few minutes of silence. Kathryn looked up from her hands and nodded.

"I returned to the orphanage for winter break, because I wanted to ensure that the children were being cared for, fed, well-kept. I do so because I want to, and it's… the right thing." She started. They nodded, asking for her to continue.

"The Madame was about to punish another child, who hadn't really done anything wrong. She was in horrible shape, so I… I stepped in, sir. I took her… punishment." Kathryn admitted. She heard a sound from the sidelines, almost an "oh!" of horror and pity.

Kathryn swallowed the lump in her throat, and forced herself to continue.

"What did the child do?" One of the other council members asked. Kathryn looked at him, somewhat irritated.

"I don't know, sir, but that is irrelevant, sir." She somewhat growled. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I was locked in the closet from then on. For almost a week and a half, I was not let out of that broom closet, save to use the bathroom twice a day, and eat, maybe a day or two in between. I… would not have survived if it hadn't been for the other children. They would steal food for me, and jam it through a hole in the wall." She hissed, keeping her eyes closed. Feeling her surroundings caving in on herself, she snapped them open. Seeing darkness only reminded her of that tiny, horrible closet. Why, if she were to reach out, she swore she could almost feel the tattered, cold drywall.

"My god! How did you get out?" One of the jury members blurted. The head council hushed them, reminding them that they were to be silent. Kathryn didn't turn to look at the man.

"If my friends hadn't come to visit me, I don't know where I would be right now. She let me out, allowed me to shower, clean myself up. She let me eat the best meal I'd had in _days_. I… She poisoned my water. If I hadn't taken a bezoar stone from the potions closet, I don't think that I would be here right now… I'm still sorry for that." She muttered, apologizing once again to Draco. Draco shook his head. It was water under the bridge.

"You stole a bezoar stone?" The brunette next to the head council asked, distaste in her voice. Kathryn slowly nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. As I said, I have no reason to lie. I don't care if I go to jail. As long as _she_ is far away from them. Even if she is in the cell next to me. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that those children are safe, because…" She reminded them, then trailed off. The head of council gave her a small, and rare smile.

"Because it's the right thing to do?" He asked. She snapped her head up, and nodded slowly.

"Yes, sir. We've been through a lot." She whispered. They sat back, and the head council waved his hand.

"Would Auror Potter bring forth the evidence that has been collected for this case, please?" He asked. Harry nodded, grabbed the file, and walked up to him, handing it to him. Kathryn's eyes never left the manila folder. They opened it, and the expressions on their faces changed rapidly as they viewed the pictures and read the medical files. Horror, shock, sadness, anger, pity… They changed too quickly for Kathryn to count.

She took a deep breath as she wished that Nayeli could be here as well. She wasn't given much time to think about it, though, as the pictures had been passed to the jury members. One of them even blanched, his face turning white as snow.

Kathryn could imagine the things that were stated in the medical documents from the examinations of some of the children, the young and the older. Broken bones, malnutrition, possibly even sexual abuse.

"No one could ever have survived something like this! _How_?" One of them asked. Kathryn looked to the jury crowd, unsure of who'd asked the question.

"I healed them, with magic. It was the only way to keep them out of the hospital, and the rest of us safe." She admitted. The woman sitting next to the head of council leaned over and whispered something in the man's ear, and Kathryn read the woman's lips: _This is more than enough evidence to convict._ The man hastily nodded, muttering something back to the brunette. She would have read his lips too, but they were hidden behind that damn bushy beard.

"Bring Stacey Maddess in. We will question her now." He announced to the bailiff. Kathryn stopped, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn't ready to face the woman. Not yet. On instinct, she listened, hard. She began to visibly tremble as she heard thudding footsteps from down the hall, a clickety-clacking thud of the guard's boots, and a jingling of chains.

She let out a whimper and flinched violently as the door was thrown open, averting her gaze to anywhere but the plaintiff's desk. The moment that the Madame saw Kathryn, she lunged for her. Harry intervened, pointing his wand at the Madame with a menacing glare. Severus jumped up too, unable to control himself. A few heads turned to him, and he sat back down, muttering a slight apology.

Kathryn was stunned to say the least, her shell-shocked mind going haywire. She wanted to run like a bat out of hell out of the courtroom. Hide under the desk, or in a closet somewhere. She wanted to floo straight back to Hogwarts, lock the door to her room, and hide underneath her bed, her wand in hand and at the ready.

Severus, Draco, and Blaise were desperately trying to catch Kathryn's eyes, but she was staring wide-eyed at the floor, off in the distance. She was completely petrified, unaware that the council members were repeating her name, trying to get her attention. She was lost to the world.

Severus sent a wave of energy to the medallion again, hoping that it would bring her to her senses and snap her to reality. He frowned when he realized it didn't work, and a look of worry spread across his face as he heard a metallic clinks and a cymbal-like chime echo through the darkly lit room. She'd dropped it. He wasn't sure if she was aware of that, either.

One of the jury members stood, asking permission to step onto the floor, identifying herself as a mental counselor.

"Sir, if I may, allow me to talk to her. I can help to ease her back to reality. I have seen this many times before. Please, allow me to help." The woman offered, giving an explanation to Kathryn's paralyzed state.

The plump, curly-brown haired woman carefully and slowly walked down the steps, pausing to pick up the medallion that Kathryn had dropped. It tingled in her hands, and she felt a strange calm wave over her as she held it. An interesting artifact; she'd never felt anything like it.

Approaching Kathryn, the plump woman softly said Kathryn's name. When she didn't respond, she looked at the medallion again, touching it to the back of Kathryn's hand. Kathryn blinked, and looked at the woman. The woman held up the medallion in front of her face, and a puzzled look spread on Kathryn's face as she wondered how the woman had gotten a hold of it.

"This is yours, isn't it, dear?" She asked. Kathryn slowly nodded and reached out for it, grasping it in her cold, trembling fingers. Her face softened, and her eyes glimmered with happiness as she gazed upon the silver dragon-medallion, her capacity for rational and coherent thought gone.

_Severus…_ She thought, a small smile curling on the corners of her mouth. His name echoed through her mind, and it seemed to tickle her brain. The pleasing emotions melted her icy state as she thought of him, still momentarily unaware of where she was.

"Kathryn, I want you to do something for me." The woman asked. Kathryn looked up, still swooning, a dreamy, happy expression on her face.

"I want you to remember this happiness and joy that you feel. The peace that you feel. Remember that no matter what has happened to you, or will happen to you, you have every right to be happy. You _deserve_ to be happy." She began. Kathryn looked at her and then suddenly remembered where she was. The smile on her face and in her eyes slowly disappeared immediately, and her head dropped as she realized where she was. She was immensely embarrassed with her reaction.

"I'm sorry… I…." She muttered, trying not to cast glances at the tyrant to her right.

"Please understand that by law, we must allow her to appeal. If you want, I will walk you through it." The plump little woman offered in a soft, light voice. Kathryn thought for a minute.

"Thank you, ma'am, but I must face my demon myself." Kathryn whispered shakily. The woman was taken aback, but nodded slowly, feeling that the young girl's path to recovery would be significantly easier if she was ready to handle this on her own.

The woman nodded to her, and walked back to her seat, a small smile of her own on her small face.

Kathryn stared at the floor, trying to steel herself emotionally as much as possible.

"Madame Stacy Maddess. You are being charged with child abuse, child neglect, and possibly even first degree murder as well as child-prostitution, should more evidence arise to support the decision. The evidence is high against you. Do you have anything that you wish to say in your defense?" The head of council asked. The Madame was busy leering at Kathryn with hateful eyes, which Kathryn was fighting to ignore.

"You ungrateful little shit. You filthy little deaf bitch. I took you in when your father was shot to death, protecting the worthless child you are. You will amount to nothing. You will—her voice was cut off with a silencing charm, cast inaudibly by someone in the room. Kathryn looked among the crowd, slightly amused and slightly thankful. Draco smirked, casting a sideways glance of approval at his son.

"Release the silencing spell. Let her spit those lies. I know the truth now. I _know _who _I_ am, and it is none of those things. Those words don't define me. _I_ do." Kathryn stated bravely, staring at Severus, guessing that it was he who had cast the spell. His eyes were glimmering with chaos, but he gave her a slight nod and countered the curse.

-your drunken, stupid, lazy father, and—

"My father wasn't a drunk, nor was he stupid or lazy!" Kathryn barked, turning on her as her rage hit its limit. The wind picked up in the room, blowing the magical candles out. In the next second, they burst into flame, the glass lamps that held them shattering, splaying broken shards every which way. The people below covered their heads.

"My father was incredibly smart! He was a hard-worker! He saw my worth, and loved me for all that I am! He died to protect me, because he loved me, and saw that my life was more valuable than my own!" Kathryn screeched. The fire above grew to a roar, falling to the ground. From the flame emerged a wolf of fire, quite like the one she'd summoned during the battle on Hogwart's grounds. She turned to it, and sighed, embarrassed yet again. She thought to it: _go away, I don't need your help._

Surprisingly enough, it worked. The wolf sat back on its hind legs, and let out a low, long, almost sad howl as it died out. The entire jury, council, and people on the floor slowly turned from where the firewolf had just been to look at Kathryn, mouths agape and eyes wide.

"That was awesome!" Severus whispered to his father, underestimating the resonance of the room. His whisper echoed along the walls. A rumble of nervous and genuine chuckles sounded out around the room at his comment. Draco smirked. _Yes. Yes it was._ He thought.

Kathryn stole a glance at the Madame, who was cowering in her seat in fear, trembling and stunned just as she had been a few minutes previous.

Satisfied, Kathryn sat down, shooting a smirk at the woman's direction, her eyes glimmering with victory. The head of council called for a short recess, so that the jury could discuss their decisions and a janitor could clean up the glass splayed on the floor. Kathryn took the opportunity greatly, stepping outside. The warmth of a fire danced along her skin and she took a deep, calming breath.

Draco, Blaise, and Severus stepped outside as well, shielding their eyes as the brightness hit them. She turned sharply, and smiled in relief, rushing to Severus and hugging him tightly. He chuckled and hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

"Your firefox was an amazing sight to see, Miss Huître. How long have you been able to control it? Not many witches or wizards can summon fiendfyres." The woman from before asked, approaching them slowly. Blaise gave her a look, and then nodded as he realized who she was.

"It's a wolf, actually. Thank you for your help." Kathryn corrected her, breaking away from Severus to face her. The plump little woman smiled.

"If I may, I'd like to help you. My name is Marie Schneidmiller; I'm a psychiatrist at St. Mungo's. You handle yourself well, but I feel that there is more than what you let on." She introduced, holding out a business card. Kathryn nodded and took it, stuffing it in her pocket.

"Thank you, ma'am but I need to face my demon on my own." Kathryn restated. Marie smiled at her and nodded. True enough, she was already well on her way to recovery.

"Even so, there may be some underlying issues that you will need to deal with someday. Please keep in mind that my office door is open. If you need to, owl, and stop by." Marie reminded her, turning on her heel and walking away. Draco nodded, thinking to himself. Considering the things she'd written down on paper a month ago, he contemplated whether he should send the parchment to the woman.

A janitor passed them and walked into the courtroom as well, pushing a mop bucket and a mop, with a broom and dustpan floating behind him. Kathryn sighed, slightly embarrassed.

"I didn't mean to lose my temper." She announced sadly. Blaise smiled a little and patted her back.

"It happens. I'd be pissed too, if someone were to insult people that I care about like that." He muttered. The council members and jury members began to shuffle back into the courtroom, and they followed. Kathryn stole a glance at the Madame, who let out a small fearful whimper.

_Finally, revenge._ She thought vindictively.

The head of council banged the gavel, silencing the room. He grabbed a piece of parchment that held the jury's decision, and as he read it, he couldn't agree more.

"The Court of Magical and Muggle Affairs, as well as the present jury, find Madame Stacey Maddess guilty as charged, sentenced to serve in Azkaban prison for life."

At this, the Madame shrieked.

"Send me somewhere else! _Anywhere _else! Those things—those _things!_" She sputtered, falling into a hysteria of tears and incoherent babblings.

Kathryn smirked, knowing full well what "those things" were, and what they would do. They'd have a feast on the woman's favorite happy, sadistic memories, draining her until she was devoid of happiness and hope, unable to find any shred of it anywhere. She would drown in pure misery.

She found herself wishing that the woman would receive a "kiss", but even _that_ wasn't good enough, as she wouldn't be forced to suffer her years of torture.

"Miss Huître, you are to complete three months' worth of anger management lessons, as well as psychiatric therapy. The psychiatrists at St. Mungo's are more than willing to help, and they will release you when you both agree that you are well." The head of council announced, stating Kathryn's sentence.

Kathryn fought a shrugging of her shoulders, as that would have been extremely rude. _Anger management, huh? Suppose I'm lucky._

"What of the children at the orphanage, sir?" She asked, worried still for their well-being. Narcissa was doing a wonderful job, but she was old, and wouldn't be there forever. The head of council smiled genuinely, this being the second time he'd broken his bearing.

"Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy will continue to care for them. The wizarding community would like to donate funds of one-thousand Galleons… an equivalent of five-thousand pounds, as well as help to pay for any psychiatric help that the children may need." He announced, beaming down at her.

She grinned, trying to hold back tears. She bowed her head, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.

"Thank you, sir." She managed to get out. She barely heard the Madame's shrieking pleads as they dragged her out of the courtroom, too stunned.

She felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. However, she frowned as the little voice in the back of her head piped in, saying something along the lines of: _You don't deserve this._

She bit her lip. She'd get rid of this voice, without any outside help. It wasn't anyone else's stone to throw…

* * *

So... Any comments? Anything at all? Would be much appreciated.

I'm thinking about writing another HP fic. Feel free to suggest some pairings, and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks!

Sheeva1331


	20. Chapter 20

So, I haven't been on in a while, and I've been swamped with school. I forgot where I was going with this chapter.

Enjoy, and please review!

* * *

Joseph ran through the halls, trying to follow the strange aura as closely as he could. It was getting stronger now, radiating within his body like a pulsar wave. He skidded to a stop and looked between two hallways, one leading northwest, and the other leading northeast. He focused for a minute, calling out to the aura, hoping that it was sway whichever way it was supposed to lead him.

It condensed to the left. Northeast.

He took off at a run again, ignoring the portraits that were wakening with the sharp tapping of his sword against his boot calf. He formed a ball of light in his hands and shot it forward. It hovered in the air in front of him, then as he snapped his fingers, it floated behind him.

His shadow was cast, long and thin, down the red carpeted hallway. He felt some relief in knowing that he was no longer running around in the dark. A shadowy figure loomed in front of him, and he slowed to a halt.

"Hello?" He called out. The shadowy figure waited for a moment, and then glided off to the west, down another corridor. Joseph grunted and resumed the chase. The hallway that he was running down had many tall mirrors on one side, and open pillars to the outside world on the other. He also noticed that he could see his breath. It was fucking cold.

He chased after the figure for a good while, almost being winded after being forced to climb three sets of stairs, putting him on the fifth floor, now. He skidded to a halt at a dead end, a large portrait of a person that he didn't know. The figure began to solidify, taking the form of a woman. He couldn't see her face, as it was covered by a veil of some sort.

It stared at him, and he froze. Slowly, out of curiosity, he reached a hand out, eager to move back the veil to reveal the mystery… thing. His heart pounded in his chest. His breathing was irregular, small white wisps forming from the sheer cold. He could feel the lace of the veil, and hesitated slightly. Making up his mind, he grasped it and pulled it back and—

"What are you doing here, Cowles?" A voice said behind him. He let out a startled cry and grabbed the handle of his sword, unsheathing it and holding it outstretched at the intruder's neck. The intruder had drawn her wand, shouting out a surprised "bombarda!". When she realized that it didn't work, and he realized who she was, they both calmed down, taking a few steps backwards, away from each other.

He put his sword back in his scabbard, running a hand through his hair, sighing in relief. Hermione Potter was clutching her chest, as though having a heart attack, chuckling to herself. She touched the side of her neck where his sword had just been, laughing aloud shakily when she realized that it was unharmed. Not even a hair had been cut.

"You scared the hell out of me!" She laughed, taking a knee to steady herself. He only grunted. _Feeling is mutual_. He thought.

"I apologize." He stated, holding out a hand to help her stand again. She took it, and wrapped her coat tighter around herself.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" She asked, looking behind him, as she'd arrived to find him holding an outstretched arm. She thought he'd been sleepwalking.

Joseph took a moment to glance behind him. Not to his surprise, the figure had fled the scene. He sighed, and turned back to her.

"There was disturbance… in the… oh, what is word…" He trailed off, trying to think of the right word. He groaned in annoyance with himself. She fought back a giggle at his struggle. He reminded her much of Viktor Krum with his accent and troubles in learning English. Unlike Viktor, Joseph had no trouble pronouncing "Hermione".

"A disturbance? So, you weren't sleepwalking?" She asked. Joseph looked at her blankly, the term "sleepwalking" being unfamiliar. Joseph shook his head.

"I feel something. It is… lonely. Wants help. It is not bad. Just… strange. You do not see or feel?" He asked. Slowly, she shook her head no. He squinted his eyes in thought, and looked away at the floor, crossing his right arm over his left, still in the sling. It probably would be that way forever, now.

"It is gone now. I go back to bed. Goodnight, Mrs. Hermione Potter." He announced, moving past her quietly and making his way back to his bed. He needed to get a shred of sleep so that he could wake up early to train. He needed to get used to being one-armed now.

X

Joseph set his sword down, leaning it against the statue of the old man. He summoned a clone single-handedly, wanting to work on his hand-to-hand combat. It was much more difficult than he'd thought it'd be, especially since he still had the urge to move his left arm. It still hurt to do so, and there was a little bit of function, but not enough to be effective.

He found that he could still wield his sword, but only for a short amount of time before his arm would give in and his hand went numb. He began to spar furiously with the clone, knocking aside punches and side-stepping kicks, jabbing the clone with his palm. The clone jumped back, and went to punch Joseph. Joseph went to block, but missed, as the same shadowy figure from the night before appeared in his peripheral vision, and he turned to it, fearful.

The clone's fist collided with Joseph's cheek and he was sent flying backwards, sliding across the cobblestone. He dismissed the clone and stood, brushing himself off. When he went to look back towards the castle doors, the figure was gone, much to his dismay. He was hoping that he could try to talk to it.

Joseph growled and tucked his disabled arm into the sleeve of his cowl, and snatched up his sword in aggravation, slinging it over his shoulder and storming back inside. If he couldn't train in peace, then maybe he could study in peace.

As he made his way back to the dungeon, Draco, Blaise, Kathryn, and Severus were walking up the stairs. They paused as they met up with each other.

"You cut training short today." Severus mentioned, arching an eyebrow. Joseph slowly nodded, his scowl still plastered on his face. He was tired, and it showed with ease. Joseph looked at Draco, and paled. The shadowy figure was looming behind him, and he felt a glimmer of sadness, an inexplicable ache swelling in his heart.

"I am not well. My head… hurts. It goes boom-boom." He lied, although with the strange emotions spontaneously generating in his chest and the irritation and fear he felt towards the shadowy figure were beginning to give him a severe headache.

Kathryn found herself chuckling at his word-choice to describe his headache.

"You have a headache?" Blaise asked, snickering at the description as well. He'd be laughing about that one for ages.

"Good luck with trial." Joseph muttered. Kathryn slowly nodded, silencing.

"Thank you, Joseph. I hope you feel better." She muttered, pushing past them and walking up the rest of the stairs. Severus followed after a hasty goodbye. Joseph turned, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and walked down the stairs. The strange thing looming over them was getting on his last nerve.

As soon as he shut the door, he locked it, and cast a silence bubble around the room with a sign of his hand. The shadowy figure was still there, floating above the floor in the middle of the room. He glanced at the mirror behind it, confused when he saw that there was no reflection.

"What you want? What are you?" He barked at it, keeping his distance. The figure giggled at him with a high-pitched girly sound, and floated away, disappearing through the wall. Joseph growled in the back of his throat and set his sword down at the foot of his bed, then flopped onto the mattress, heaving a sigh.

His bed was amazingly comfortable, and it made studying somewhat difficult, as he'd often fall asleep in bed, the quill still in hand. He grabbed his book off of the nightstand and flipped to the last page he'd been working on, unscrewed the cap to the bottle of ink, and began to work on his English once more.

X

Sheeva tapped on the door lightly, rousing Joseph from his slumber. He'd fallen asleep again while sitting up. The quill was dangling from his hand, and his book had fallen to the floor.

"Yes?" He murmured, snapping open his eyes and looking around, somewhat disoriented as he tried to place the time. He crawled out of the bed, his legs slightly wobbly. He swung open the door, and looked down at her.

"Hello, captain." He started, then covered his mouth in a yawn.

"I am going back to Kadessa. There are a few things that I want to research. Would you like to go with me, or would you like to stay here? I am going to ask Kagure for his help as well." She stated. As he looked at her, he realized that she looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes. She must not have been sleeping for the last few days.

"Please. I wanted to return Artix's wedding band, Kalas' headband, and Zakkari's pipe to their families, or loved ones. It's the least that I can do for them." He admitted, motioning towards the dresser beside his bed. Their trinkets were in the top drawer, tucked away to keep them safe.

Sheeva nodded at him, and then turned to leave. Joseph stopped her.

"Captain, are you alright? You look like hell." He asked. She'd helped him out immensely. He wanted to ensure that he could repay the favor. She looked back at him, a hurtful look in her eye. She then shook her head slowly.

"I am just fine, Joseph." She stated. He frowned, giving her a disbelieving look. He sighed, and rolled his eyes, glancing away for a second.

He shuddered as a strange lonely, sadness spread throughout his chest, and quickly he looked back up, looking around. The shadowy figure was back, and he stared at it, eyes widening. She caught his stare, and followed his eyes, looking behind herself.

There was nothing there. She turned back to him, arching an eyebrow.

"What are you looking at?" She asked. He blinked, and looked back at her, frustrated. After his first encounter, he posited that maybe the humans couldn't see it. Just him, and perhaps, Sheeva.

Now he realized he was wrong. It must have only been him.

"Nothing. I'm just… been having nightmares. Of the war." He muttered, a half-truth. He had had a few nightmares, but they were few and far between. He guessed that she was receiving the blunt of the psychological damage, considering her current circumstances.

"We have something called 'dreamless sleep' for that. If you want some, speak with Draco. He should be able to set you up with some." She announced, starting to walk away. She paused, and turned back to look at him.

"Happy Valentine's Day, by the way. It is a human holiday, where lovers and friends express their gratitude towards one another." She muttered, continuing on her way. Her red dress fluttered around her knees, sporting a pair of two-inch heels. Her hair was pulled back in a golden barrette, the thick black curls bouncing as she walked away.

Joseph felt his mouth go dry, and he licked his lips, shaking his head to clear it of the adulterous thoughts in his mind. Not only was she his captain, she was married. He couldn't be thinking such things.

He turned back around and walked back in, shutting the door and climbing back into bed, thinking that maybe he was hallucinating from not sleeping well. Figuring that some well-deserved sleep was in order, he turned off his alarm and pulled the covers over his head and went back to sleep.

* * *

Feels good to write again, I'm back in my element.

Ciao, tutti!


	21. Chapter 21

OMG. I'm so sorry this took so long! Life. Life got to me. Rather, the hardships of life.

Enjoy, and if there's one thing I've learned: Don't let the little things stress you. They're unnecessary, and cruel words are petty.

* * *

Kathryn, Severus, Draco, and Blaise crashed out of the fireplace into the headmaster's office. Thankfully, the room was empty, save for the pictures strewn about. They had stopped chatting amongst one another and looked at the four people that had flown out of the fireplace.

Severus Snape gave a slight nod of his head as he saw his godson and husband, as well as his "grandchild" with the sickeningly sweet Gryffindor, Huître.

"How did the trial go, Draco?" Albus Dumbledore inquired, a small smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Draco stood, brushed himself off, and looked up to stare the picture in the face. He didn't answer, and instead, looked to Kathryn. She should be the one to answer, as it was _her_ trial.

Kathryn cleared her throat, picking a lump of charcoal out of her hair, tossing it back into the fireplace.

"It went well, sir. Better… than I expected." She whispered, sniffling a little. She turned around and rushed out of the room, muttering an excuse-me. Severus stared at her, stunned. Blaise shot him a look.

"What the hell are you waiting around for? Go after her." Blaise ordered. Draco smirked behind Severus' back, and crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Yes, Severus, what are you waiting for? Chase after your precious trinket." Draco teased. Severus gave his father a strange look, but turned away anyway, rushing out of the door.

Blaise and Draco chuckled, and left the room as well, heading for their office. Blaise checked the time with a tempus charm, and scowled. It was nearing seven.

They only had half an hour to get ready for their dinner that they'd planned for Sheeva. Blaise tapped Draco on the shoulder and took off, pointing at his wrist, motioning that they were running short on time. Draco chased after him, catching a glimpse of his son running down another corridor, towards the seventh floor.

They barreled into their office, panting slightly, tearing at their ties and shirt, scrambling to get them off. Sheeva arched an eyebrow at them, confused at their feverish state.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, with amused smile on her face as she watched their struggle.

"Everything's fine. We're just in a hurry." Blaise answered, kicking off his shoes and tossing his tie and dress shirt on the back of a nearby chair.

Blaise hurried to the bathroom, stripping himself of his pants and boxers and jumping into the shower, not caring about the bitter cold of the water. Draco figured that he was clean enough, as he'd showered that morning. He ran a comb through his hair and looked at himself, growled, and ruffled his hair, trying again.

He decided he didn't like that look, either, and so grabbed his gel off of the dresser and squirted a glob of it, running it through his hair, trying to comb it into place. No matter what he'd tried to do, it didn't seem right.

"Damn it all. My stupid hair won't obey! Stupid hair! Stupid gel!" He growled, leaning against the dresser, head down in shame. Sheeva uncrossed her legs, stood, and walked up to him, turning him forcefully to her and planting a heated kiss on his lips, running her fingers through his blonde hair.

She grabbed a tuft of his hair in both hands, biting his lip as she pulled his head away to look up at him. He shuddered at the intensity of the kiss and the bite of his lip, and felt himself go hard instantly.

"As long as it is my hands or Blaise's hands that run through it, I do not give a damn how your hair looks." She growled, voice thick with arousal. Her eyes were lidded, and she had _that_ look in her eyes. Draco blinked, her words sinking into his brain.

He smirked, and grabbed her hips, pulling her close to him and kissing her passionately, thrusting his tongue in her mouth. He pushed her up onto the dresser, and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, gripping his shoulder and pulling at his hair again. He growled, and grinded against her.

Draco ran his hand up her thigh, taking the hem of her blue dress with it, giving her hip a squeeze and biting into her neck. She moaned, and pressed herself against him.

"Draco, now. I _need_ you." She pleaded, unbuckling the belt of his pants and unzipping them. Draco sneered at her, a fire in his eyes that he hadn't had for a while. He pulled aside the fabric of her lace underwear with his fingers, prodding at her core with the tip, teasing her.

She moaned at his touch, trying to buck her hips to thrust him in. Each time, he backed off, taunting her. She sent him a glare and grabbed his hips, holding him in place as she did it herself, gasping in satisfaction.

"God, damn, you really want this." He muttered, obliging her by bucking his hips, hard.

She bit her lip as he rubbed her clit with his thumb, pressing her nails into his shoulders, leaving small crescent-shaped indents.

"Fuck yes, Draco." She swore, giving him an answer.

She happened to glance at their reflection in the full-body mirror leaned against the wall, and the visual stimulation sent her over the edge, moaning loudly as she came, clenching tightly around him. She relaxed, trembling with her head rested on his shoulder.

Softly, she began to chuckle, unwrapping her legs from around his waist.

He slid out of her, and sighed, somewhat irritated that he hadn't gotten off. She felt him against her thigh, and gave him an apologetic look.

"I am sorry. That was selfish of me." She muttered. He shook his head.

"That was fucking _hot_, Sheeva…. And quick. Damn." He replied, impressed with himself. Draco turned as he heard the bathroom door open. Blaise walked out, drying off his hair with a towel, not bothering to cover himself.

Draco grabbed his wand and immediately locked the door, in case someone were to try to burst in at the moment. Blaise smirked and dried off his chest, then walked over to his section of their massive dresser, picking out a pair of clean boxers and slacks, giving them both a peck on the cheek. Draco blushed slightly.

"Couldn't wait for me, could you?" He asked, feigning being hurt by it. Sheeva chuckled and stood off of the dresser, smoothing out her dress, which was cut off above the knees. Blaise was sure that if she were to bend over, she'd reveal everything.

She ran her hands up his abdomen, across his nipples, and looped her arm around his shoulders, looking up at him, her previous sultry glaze replaced with innocence.

"What is the rush with you two? We have all evening." She asked. Blaise kissed her lovingly and gripped at her hips, fiddling with the fabric of the dress. It was smooth, almost like silk.

"We were going to treat you to dinner. Somewhere far away." He explained, buckling his belt and zipping up his slacks. She smiled at them.

"That is so sweet of you… but… what about Jeffrey?" She asked. Draco and Blaise caught glances, and their eyebrows arched.

"I was thinking that Severus could watch him." Draco stated, flipping up his collar to loop his tie around his neck. Blaise laughed.

"He's too busy wooing Huître." He snickered. Draco smirked, and Sheeva smiled. She wrapped her hands around herself, and turned away so that they couldn't see her becoming teary-eyed. She failed to keep back a sniffle. They heard it, and smiled solemnly, hugging her tightly.

"They grew up so fast." She whispered. She couldn't have imagined that she would have ever known what it felt like, watching one's children grow up in front of their very eyes. And now, they were almost as old as she was. At this, she let out a sob, gripping onto their shirts.

"I really hate to break up this sentimental, beautiful, emotional moment… but we're really going to be late if we don't get going." Draco announced, nodding towards the clock, which was nearing 7:30. Sheeva wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, grabbing a tissue out of the box on the dresser and blowing her nose with it.

"I will ask Joseph. It will give them a chance to get to know each other. That and Jeffrey can help him with his English. It has gotten much better." Sheeva announced, forming a seal to make the hem of her dress longer. Blaise and Draco pouted at her.

"I like it short." Draco muttered. Sheeva smirked and winked at him.

"I only do it for you, dears." She whispered, walking to the dresser and grabbing a vial of dreamless sleep. She turned around the corner to the Slytherin dorms, the after heat radiating off of her. Almost cheerfully she made her way to Severus and Joseph's room, a small smile on her lips, a giddy glow in her eyes.

She tapped on the wooden door lightly, glancing around the Slytherin common room. It'd been decorated with hearts and pink and red streamers. There was also a table with small gifts piled upon it, probably one of the house resident assistant's ideas. She had to admit, it was a cute idea.

She almost jumped when the door swung open, but smiled at the person who opened it. His red hair was a mess, either a signal of stress or that he'd slept incredibly well. She chuckled at him lightly.

"Captain." He greeted, more of a tired grunt than anything else. She nodded back and smiled.

"Evening, Cowles. I was wondering if you would be willing to do me a favor? Severus is busy with Kathryn, and my husbands have surprised me with a dinner. I was wondering if you would be willing to watch Jeffrey?" She asked. He looked at her, arching an eyebrow.

"Um… I don't have any experience with kids…" He began, his shoulders slouching and his eyes wandering from side to side. As she looked at him a little closer, she noticed that he did indeed seem stressed.

"Then you are lucky he is not a baby." She said lightly, trying to cheer him a little.

"He does not cause trouble. He is well behaved." She continued. She noticed that Joseph was looking behind her again, and not at her. In fact, he seemed to be paying no attention to her. She squinted her eyes at him, hoping that it would catch his attention. When he didn't look, she snapped her fingers.

"Cowles." She barked. He blinked and straightened up, looking at her with tired, slightly irritated and scared eyes.

"Yes, ma'am?" He asked.

"Jeffrey is a good boy. Just make sure that he eats, is entertained, and goes to bed at eight. I was thinking that he could help you with your English. He is learning to read too." She suggested. Joseph blinked, and nodded.

"I will try." He agreed. She smiled gratefully at him, and turned to leave. She felt the vial in her bosom, and grabbed it, tossing it to him.

"When you are ready to sleep, drink this. It will keep your nightmares at bay." She ordered, waving at him shortly before continuing on her way up the stairs. He kept his grimace hidden, and turned away, trying to ignore the shadow. He hated to admit it, but he was beginning to get used to the thing.

* * *

Kathryn raced up the steps, wiping at her eyes, not sure of what she was thinking, let alone what she was feeling. There was a slurry of emotion. Happiness, relief, and the nerves from seeing The Madam were still bottled in her chest.

She looked down the corridor to the Gryffindor House, and saw students filtering in, some holding hands, others celebrating a "singles' awareness day". She decided against going to her room, as she wouldn't be able to slip by without drawing unneeded attention to herself.

She ran past the hall, heading straight. She hoped that the Room of Requirements wasn't in use, and she skidded to a halt in front of it, looking around. She tried to keep her composure as she thought of what she needed: a place to hide.

A door materialized in front of her, and she grabbed the knob, jerked the door open, and rushed inside. She tried to shut the door, but someone's foot stopped it open. She let out a startled cry, and looked at the intruder.

Severus wormed his way into the door, and leaned against the wall next to it as she shut the door all the way.

"You. Run. Really. Fast." He managed to get out between breaths. She began to laugh at him, and then turned away, tears still spilling from her eyes. She then began to sob, the emotions too much for her to handle.

Severus looked at her almost pitifully, and scooped her up, guiding her over to the love seat couch that had appeared in front of a roaring fire. The frame was made of wood, and the green fabric of the couch pillows and arms and back was very old, the trimmings around the edges peeling off.

He sat them down and she nestled herself in his lap, her knees tucked up against the arm of the couch. He remained silent while she had her cry, a small smile forming on his lips when she would laugh hysterically. She was so incredibly emotional, he wondered how her head didn't explode.

Eventually she calmed down, breathing hard and sniffling. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her face stung from her tears. He stroked her long curly hair, giving her arms a light squeeze as though to remind her that she wasn't crying alone.

As she sniffled, she realized that she really needed to blow her nose and wash her face. However, she didn't move her head from his lap, too tired to cry anymore, let alone move. Severus turned his head, startled as a table sprouted up like a plant with a box of tissues. The edge of the table hit his "funny bone", and he bit his lip to keep from laughing. Why it was called a "funny bone", he'd never understand. Although, it made some sense. It hurt, but it made him want to laugh, as though her were some sort of masochist.

He grabbed a few tissues and handed them to her. She slowly reached for one and blew into it, sighing from relief. Her nose was still stuffy, though.

"I'm sor—

—Don't. You have nothing to apologize for." He interrupted, staring into the fire. He was feeling sleepy too. He found himself wishing that there was a bed that they could lie down in. He arched an interested eyebrow as to the left of him, out of the wall, shot a bed.

It was very large, he had to guess it was a king-sized bed, loaded with pillows and a very nice golden quilt. He smirked. This room was amazing, and scary at the same time.

He sat up, picked her up, and pulled the covers back with his foot, lying her down in it. He unlaced her shoes and pulled them off, setting them on the floor before kicking off his own. He unbuttoned his coat and draped it over the frame, unbuttoning his shirt and draping it over as well. He loosened the tie around his neck, rather than untying the knot that he had such difficulties with, and looped it around the bed knob.

He took a deep breath, and scooted close to her, lying on his back. He snaked his hand underneath her and effortlessly pulled her close to him, startling her. She was stunned by his unnatural silence, and wondered if it really was the Severus she knew. Upon seeing the seal on his shoulder from his mother, she relaxed.

She placed a light kiss on his chest before resting her head on it.

"Everything is alright now. Your friends will be well taken care of. That woman is behind bars." He stated, thinking that maybe the circumstances hadn't quite registered in her shocked mind. He didn't blame them. He gave her another squeeze, and kissed the top of her head, and ran his fingers through her hair again. It fanned out on his dark-skinned chest, and he found that he liked the way that it looked. It contrasted beautifully.

She let out a slight chuckle, and he felt her nod her head.

_Yes. Everything is alright now._ She silently agreed.

_I have everything I need, here with you. I have everything I want now, and it's thanks to you and your family. I am… safe._

Her eyes shone with happiness and love, but he didn't see it. She didn't look at him. This revelation was something that she would keep within herself. Instead of voicing her thoughts, she tightened her hold, and placed a heavier kiss on his chest.

_I love you, Severus._

She wasn't aware that she'd said it until he kissed the top of her head again and whispered to her that he loved her too.

Her eyes closed, too strained and dry to stay open anymore. She slipped into a deep sleep, her dreams glazed and sugar-coated with images of Severus smiling at her, the orphans recovering, their laughter echoing throughout the brightened orphanage.

He lay awake, shooting stinging hexes at the door when students (maybe even teachers) tried to enter, rattling the doorknob. He'd smirk every time he sent someone swearing.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. Shocking, right? I wanted to end the sweetness here.

Keep looking for more chapters, they'll be up soon.


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